Life ssmch. Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov). Life of St. Mch. Seraphim (Chichagov) Metropolitan Chichagov

life

Mit-ro-po-lit Se-ra-fim (in the world of Leo-nid Mi-hi-lo-vich Chi-cha-gov) was born on June 9, 1856; he is the great-grandson of the well-known admiral V.Ya. Chi-cha-go-wa, one of the first research-sle-do-va-te-lei Le-do-vi-that-oce-a-na, and the grandson of P.V. Chi-cha-go-wa.
Leo-nid in-lu-chil about-ra-zo-va-nie sleep-cha-la in the First St. -those in the Pa-zhe-sky cor-p-se, at the end of the day, someone-ro-go was enlisted in the Pre-ob-ra-women's regiment. At thirty-seven, he received the rank of regiment. By this time, there would already be on-pe-cha-ta-ny of his li-te-ra-tour-but-is-to-ri-che-works: “Diary-nick pre-by-va-tion of Ts-rya-Osvo-bo-di-te-la in the Du-Nai army in 1877, "French art-til-le-ria in 1882 city”, “Notes about P.V. Chi-cha-go-ve."
In 1879, Leo-nid Mi-hi-lo-vich same-nil-sya on Na-ta-lie Ni-ko-la-evna Doh-tu-ro-howl, vnu-cha-toy ple-myan- no-tse ge-ne-ra-la D.S. Doh-tu-ro-va, hero of the Patriotic War of 1812.
Vo-en-naya ka-rye-ra does not satisfy-vle-your-rya-la Leo-ni-da Mi-hi-lo-vi-cha. From early childhood, he was from-li-chall-sya deep re-li-gi-oz-no-stu. After ro-di-te-lei, he, in his words, got used to seeking solace in re-lying. Col-kov-nick of the Guards-dei-sko-go Pre-ob-ra-female half-ka became old-ro-stay Pre-ob-ra-female-so-bo-ra on Lee -tei-nom pro-speck-te and sacrifice a lot of money for the temple.
The feeling of mi-lo-ser-diya, zhe-la-nie help-gat guards-du-shchim pri-ve-leo Leo-ni-yes Mi-hi-lo-vi-cha to izu-che- niyu me-di-tsin-sky sciences, and subsequently he wrote the book "Me-di-tsin-sky be-se-dy".
In 1891, Leonid Mi-hi-lo-vich announced his wish to leave military service and, to a great surprise, le-niyu close ones, retired in the rank of half-kov-ni-ka of the army, deciding to take a different life path - the priesthood.
Zhe-on his tya-zhe-lo pe-re-zhi-va-la is re-she-nie. Father, the spiritual son of someone-ro-go was Leo-nid Mi-hi-lo-vich, he said to her:
- Your husband should become a priest-no-one, and you should not prevent-from-brand-to-mu-your-husband-to-my, because on this - when he reaches great heights.
Having retired, Leo-nid Mi-hi-lo-vich re-rode with his family to Moscow and started to study god-words -skih sciences, going-to-ru-ko-po-lo-same-niyu. On February 28, 1893, he was ru-ko-po-lo-zhen in the Kremlin Assumption So-bo-re to the rank of priest-no-ka and pri-pi-san to the Kremlin -sky si-but-distant church-vi Two-on-de-sya-ty apo-sto-lov.
Two years later, Fr. Leo-nid was defined-de-lyon by a priest-no-one for the spirits-no-go-of-le-niya in-en-but-serving ar-til-le-riy-sko- th ve-dom-stvo of Moscow-kov-th-th in-en-no-go district.
He, with his characteristic energy, partly on his own funds, partly on the donation-in-va-niya from-re-sta-vri-ro-val temple - in the name of saint-te-la Ni-ko-lai on the Old Va-gan-ko-ve, attached to the Ru-myan-tsev-mu-mu-zee and in those - for three-tsa-ti for a hundred years behind-the-covered, in which-rum he began to serve. In the same year, unexpectedly, given, but Na-ta-lya Ni-ko-la-ev-na died, leaving four-you-reh to-che-ray, from someone ryh younger ones would be ten years old. In-ru-chiv re-pi-ta-nie to-che-rei to two trustworthy persons, Fr. In the same year, Leo-nid stepped into Tro-and-tse-Ser-gi-e-vu Lav-ru and adopted a different-ness. On August 14, 1898, he was cut-wives into a mantle with the name Se-ra-fim.
After the death on-a-hundred-i-te-la Suz-dal-sko-go Spa-so-Ev-fi-mie-va mo-na-sta-rya ar-khi-mand-ri-ta Do -si-fairy ober-pro-ku-ror Holy-tei-she-go Si-no-yes -fi-ma. Soon, he was elevated to the rank of ar-khi-mand-ri-ta and appointed to the b-go-chin-ny mo-on-stay of the Vla-di-mir-epar- hi. He found an ancient abode once-ru-sha-yu-shche-sya, turned it over for the donations he had collected, and in five years of his e-government brought to the color-tu-s-sto-i-tion. Would you have given special efforts to them for the benefit of the arrangement of the are-stant-sko-go from de-le-tion of the Suz-dal-prison-we-cre- in-sti: he ka-pi-tal-but from-re-mon-ti-ro-shaft the building and arranged a biblio-te-ku for the prisoners. Such a relationship from ar-khi-mand-ri-ta Se-ra-fi-ma to uz-no-kam immediately said: de-vyat for-ko-re- not-ly sec-tan-tov returned to the right-to-glory, and this is the opportunity for him to ho-yes-tay-stvo-vat before the Holy-shim Si -but-house about the liberation of God-de-nii of the rest. According to his ho-da-tay-stvu, three-for-twenty-man-lo-century would you-pu-sche-us be free, and prison-ma per-re-sta-la su-shche -stvo-vat.
Becoming a priest-no-one, oh. Leo-nid began to-become-le-ni-em “Le-to-pi-si Se-ra-fi-mo-Dee-ve-ev-go-mo-on-stay” , something of paradise was the most significant work of his life. About the reason for compiling it, he himself subsequently told the following: “When -sovereign-service, I would make a sacred-no-one in a small church-vi behind the Ru-myan-tsev-sky mu-ze-em, for me-ho-te- elk to go to the Sa-rov desert, a place to move in a pre-dob-no-go, then it’s still not about-glory-len-no-go, and which where on-stu-pi-lo-le-that, went there-yes. Sa-rov-sky desert pro-from-ve-la on me a strong impression. I spent several days there in mo-lit-ve and sat in all the places where there was a pre-beautiful Se-ra-fim. From-that-yes-re-re-took-sya to the Di-ve-ev-sky mo-to-stay, where I really liked it and a lot of things on-on-mi-on-lo pre-dob-nom Se-ra-fi-me, so for-bo-tiv-shem-sya about di-ve-ev-sisters. Igu-me-niya pri-nya-la me-nya very hi-vet-li-vo, a lot of be-se-do-va-la with me and, by the way, said-for-la that in mo-on-sta-re there are three faces, someone remembers pre-do-be-no-go: two old-ri-tsy-mo-na-hi-ni and mo-na-hi-nya Pe-la-geya (in the world of Pa-ras-ke-wa, Pa-sha). Particularly ben-but ho-ro-sho remembers him Pa-sha, pol-zo-vav-sha-i-sya love-bo-view pre-dob-no-go and was with him in in a hundred-yan-nom general. I vy-zil wished to visit her in order to hear something about the pre-beautiful from her lips. Me pro-vo-di-whether to do-mi-ku, where Pa-sha lived. As soon as I went in to her, like Pa-sha, lying in the step-by-step (she was very old and sick), wake up-click-well-la:
- It's good that you came, I give you, but wait, I give: re-be-good Se-ra-fim told you to re-re-give so that you do-lo-live Go-su-da-ryu, that on-stu-pi-lo is the time to open his relics and pro-glorify.
I replied to Pa-she that, according to my-s-society, I can’t be accepted by Go-su-da-rem and re-give into his mouth what she ru-cha-et to me. They re-respect me for so-ma-hed-she-go, if I start-well, to-might-be to be accepted by Him-pe-ra-to-rum. I can't do what she asks me to do.
To this, Pa-sha said-for-la:
- I don’t know anything, re-re-yes-la only what the vener-in-good-ny told me.
In embarrassment, I ki-nulled the old-ri-tsy. After her, he went to two mo-na-hee-nyam, remembering-niv-shim pre-be-good-no-go. They lived together and one after another, oh-oh-oh-oh. One was blind, and the other was all crooked and with difficulty moved along someone: she la before-de qua-so-var-ney and somehow, re-re-moving-gaya in rowing along the steps-stumps ladder-ni-tsy the same barrel with qua-som , po-le-te-la down, and after her a barrel, hitting her on the middle ring-tones of the spin-no-th ridge with all her heaviness . Both of them would have been big mo-lit-veins-ni-tsy, blind mo-na-hi-nya in a hundred-yan-but prayed for the departed, while soul-shi they appeared to her, and she saw de la their spirits with our eyes. She could co-share something about the venerable.
Before leaving the house in Sa-rov, I was at Fr. John-on Kron-stadt-sko-go, someone, pe-re-yes-wai me five rubles, said hall:
- Here they sent me five rubles and ask for ke-lei-but mo-pour for the sa-mo-murder-tsu: maybe you will meet ka-ko- go-no-whether you need-yes-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o, someone would have to pray for the misfortune.
Coming to mo-na-hi-nyam, I pro-chi-tal re-sing for-pi-soch-ku, in someone I invested five rubles given to me O. John No. In-mo-mo of this, I called the name of my ma-te-ri and asked to pray for her. In response, I heard:
- Come-di-those for a reply in three days.
When I arrived at the appointed time, I received an answer:
- I had a ma-tush-ka va-sha, she is so lazy, little lazy, and An-ge-lo-chek came with her.
I remembered that my younger sister had passed away at the age of three.
- And here is another man, I prayed for someone, that one is so gro-mad-ny, but he fears me, everything is killed -ha-et. Oh, look, isn't he the killer himself?
I had to admit that he was really-but-a-mo-killer, and tell about the be-se-du with Fr. John No.
Soon I left Di-ve-ev-sko-mo-on-stay and, returning to Moscow, involuntarily, but about-du-we-val of the word Pa -shi. In Moscow, they again came to my head, and suddenly, one day, I was pierced by the thought that after all, you can write down everything that you say -wa-whether about the pre-beautiful Se-ra-fi-me remembering his mo-na-hi-ni, to find other persons from modern-men-ni-kov pre- do-no-go and ask them about him, get to know the ar-khi-va-mi of the Sa-rov desert and Di-ve-ev-sko -go mo-on-stay-rya and for-them-stvo-vat from-that-yes everything that from-but-sits-sya to life-no pre-good-but-and-after- du-yu-sche-go after his end-chi-we pe-ri-o-da. Bring all this ma-te-ri-al in si-ste-mu and chro-no-lo-gi-che-sky in a row-dock, then this work, os-no-van- ny not only on res-po-mi-on-no-yah, but also on factual data and do-ku-men-tah, giving a full map ti-well of life and in-movement of pre-better-no-go Se-ra-fi-ma and its meaning for re-li-gi-oz-noy life-no- ro-yes, na-ne-cha-tat and under-not-sti Im-pe-ra-to-ru, which will be used-half-not-on-la-pre-on-add-but- go, re-given to me in ka-te-go-rich form Pa-shey. Such a decision is still under-strength-la-moose by the co-ob-ra-same-ni-em that the royal family, co-bi-ra-sing for ve-black-him cha-eat, chi-ta-la aloud the books of god-words-so-content, and I de-yal-sya that my book will be about -chi-ta-na.
In such a way, the thought of “Le-to-pi-si” was born.
To bring it into use, I soon took off and again from right to D-ve-e-vo. There I was provided with an archive of mo-na-sta-rya, as well as in the Sa-rov wilderness. But first of all, I went off to Pasha and began to ask her about all the well-known epi-zos of life but-go, carefully-but for-pi-sy-val everything that she re-da-va-la to me, and then she for-pi-si about-chi-you-val. She na-ho-di-la everything for-pi-san-noe right-vil-nym and, finally, said:
- All that I remember about the pre-beautiful, you-be ras-ska-za-la, and ho-ro-sho you and ver-but for-pi-sal, one-but not good-ro -sho, what are you ras-hva-li-va-eating me.
At this time, Igu-me-niya Di-ve-ev-sko-go mo-na-sta-rya from-great-vi-las to Nizh-ny Novy-go-rod to the fair-mar-ku, in order to for-ku-drink go-to-howl for-pasment of fish for mo-on-stay, and when I was in her absence, I wished to-stay Pa-shu , then for-became her complete but sick and terribly weak fight. I decided that her days were with-we. Here, I thought, I use half-no-la in-lu pre-be-good-no-go and now it dies. I was in a hurry to re-re-give ma-te-ri kaz-na-chee, but she from-ve-ti-la:
- Don’t be a devil, ba-tyush-ka, without the blessings of ma-tush-ki ig-me-ni Pa-sha will not die.
A week later, Igu-me-niya came-e-ha-la from yar-mark-ki, and I immediately went to report about my opa-se-ni-y from-but -si-tel-no Pras-ko-vii, persuade-va-ri-vaya her immediately-len-but go to die-ra-yu-schey in order to say goodbye to her and get to know her in- next in-lu, otherwise it will be too late.
- What are you, ba-tyush-ka, what are you, - from-ve-ti-la she, - I just arrived-e-ha-la, tired-la, did not have time to look around; here from-doh-well, bring everything in order, then go to Pa-she.
Two days later we went together to Pasha. She was about-ra-do-va-las, seeing the yoke-me-nia. They remembered the old swarm, pla-ka-whether, embraced and were whole. On-to-net ygu-me-niya got up and said-for-la:
- Well, Pa-sha, now b-go-words-lay you die.
Three hours later, I was already serving the first pa-ni-hi-du on Pa-ras-ke-ve. Returning to Moscow with a collected ma-te-ri-a-scrap about the pre-dob-n Se-ra-fi-me, I immediately stepped to his work. Soon, I ov-do-led and accepted mo-na-she-stvo with the name Se-ra-fi-ma, choosing him with my own heavenly in-blo-vi-te- lem. “Le-to-piss” was-la from-da-na in 1896 and pre-under-not-se-na Go-su-da-ryu, which influ-i-I-lo on re-she -niye in-pro-sa about the pro-glory-le-nii of pre-be-good-no-go Se-ra-fi-ma.
“Le-the-piss” this you-hold-ma-la two from-da-niya - in 1896 and 1903 - and represents-la-is-a-fight in a fractional description-sa- the construction of the building of the mo-na-sta-rya in Di-ve-e-ve - the fourth-of-the-th lot of God-she-her Ma-te-ri on earth. A book on the collection of ma-te-ri-a-lu in comparison with the West-we-works of other au-to-ditch nai-bo -more to-one-hundred-ver-but from-ra-zha-et all the events that have been-passed since the day of os-no-va-niya mo-na-sta-rei in Sa-ro -ve and Di-ve-e-ve, tell-zy-va-et about the first-arrangement-and-tel-ni-tse, ma-tush-ke Alek-san-dre, co-der- lives the life-not-describe-sa-nie of the pre-good-but-go Se-ra-fi-ma and people close to him.
In 1902, ar-khi-mand-ri-tu Se-ra-fi-mu was-lo vi-de-nie, about whom he subsequently told his -mu-du-hov-no-mu sy-well about-and-e-ray Ste-fa-nu Lya-shev-sko-mu: “At the end of the “Le-to-pi-si” i was sitting in my room in one of the di-ve-ev-sky cor-pu-sovs and ra-do-val-sya that I had finished work-ne-shi-pe-ri-od co-bi-ra-niya and na-pi-sa-niya about pre-dob-nom Se-ra-fi-me. At that moment, the venerable Se-ra-fim entered the cell and I saw him as if alive. I didn’t have a glimpse-well-lo thought that this was a vi-de-nie - so everything would be simple and re-al-but. But how was my surprise when ba-tyush-ka Se-ra-fim kl-nil-sya in my belt and said:
- Spa-si-bo you-be for le-that-piss. Ask me everything you want for her.
With these words, he came close to me and put his hand on my shoulder. I pressed on him and said:
- Ba-tyush-ka, do-ro-goy, I’m so happy now, that I don’t want anything else, as soon as always be an eye -Lo you.
Ba-tyush-ka Se-ra-fim smiled as a sign of agreement and became invisible. Only then did I co-ob-ra-zil that it was-lo vi-de-nie. Ra-do-sti my-she would not have an end.
Using his connections in court circles, ar-hi-mand-rit Se-ra-fim su-mel met with him-pe-ra-to-rum Ni -ko-la-em II and inclined him in favor of opening the relics.
According to-ve-le-niyu im-pe-ra-to-ra in av-gu-sta 1902, it was-lo in-ru-che-but about-of-ve-sti before-va-ri- tel-noe osvi-de-tel-stvo-va-nie of the remains of the old man Se-ra-fi-ma mit-ro-po-li-tu Mos-kov-sko-mu Vla-di-mi-ru , epis-sko-pam Tam-bov-sko-mu Dmitry-riy and Ni-zh-rod-ko-mu Na-za-riy together with Suz-dal-sky ar-khi-mand-ri- tom Se-ra-fi-mom Chi-cha-go-vym and pro-ku-ro-rum of the Moscow Si-no-distant con-to-ry Shi-rin-skim-Shih-ma- then-vym.
Oswi-de-tel-stvo-va-nie the remains of the pre-do-but-go-for-for-lo, that there are no imperishable relics.
When discussing this question in C-no-de, there is a nick-la embarrassment. Prak-ti-che-ski the whole C-nod was against it. Where to go? Why? There are no incorruptible relics, only bones. Ride into the wilderness, into the forest!
At the opening-of-a-sta-and-shaft, only the go-su-dar himself, with him one-but-mys-len-we would-whether only ober-pro-ku-ror Sab-ler and mit -ro-po-lit An-to-ny (Vad-kovsky).
One-to-them-pe-ra-tor did not leave-for-me-re-niya ka-but-ni-zi-ro-vat old Se-ra-fi-ma and all-che-ski under-der-zhi-val bla-go-go-vey-ny pa-myat about him. In October 1902, he sent a gift of Se-ra-fi-mo-Di-ve-ev-to-mo-na-sta-ryu lam-pa-du to na-ho- dya-sche-sya in the Tro-it-com-so-bo-re icon of God-she-she Ma-te-ri “Umi-le-nie”, before someone swarm on the mo-lit-ve scone -Chal-sya father Se-ra-fim. Lam-pa-du, according to the ve-le-tion of his majesty, reached the abode of ar-khi-mand-rit Se-ra-fim. On Sunday, October 20, according to the celebration of the divine liturgy in the cathedral church of Fr. Se-ra-fim tor-same-but set-but-vil before the ob-ra-zom of Bo-go-ma-te-ri lam-pa-du and burned her to the ve-li-koy ra-do-sti se-ster.
January 11, 1903, to Oswi-de-tel-stvo-va-niyu the remains of the elder Se-ra-fi-ma at-stu-pi-la on-sign-chen-naya Si -no-house ko-miss-siya in so-hundred-ve de-sya-ti che-lo-vek under the leadership of mit-ro-po-li-ta Mos-kov-sko-go. Ar-hi-mand-rit Se-ra-fim was also a member of this commission. The result was a fractional act of oswi-de-tel-stvo-va-nia, presented at the mo-nar-neck discretion. Go-su-dar, pro-chi-tav him, na-pi-sal: “Pro-people with a feeling of true ra-do-sti and deep-bo-ko-go mind ".
Before-not-se-the-commission-and-la-ni-im-pe-ra-to-ra ube-di-whether Si-nod make a decision about ka-no-ni- for-tion pre-do-b-no-go Se-ra-fi-ma Sa-rov-sko-go.
Si-nod in-hundred-no-vil: “Look, wait-yes-e-mo-th for the day of glorification and the opening of the holy relics of the pre-good -no-th-from-tsa Se-ra-fi-ma, Sa-rov-th-th-to-creator-tsa, ste-che-of pain-sho-go-to-li-che-stva in-se -ti-te-lei and bo-go-mol-tsev, recognizing-but it is necessary-ho-di-my to take measures to the over-le-zha-sche-mu device of ways with -generalization and in-necessary in-places ... in-ru-chit ar-khi-mand-ri-tu and pro-ku-ro-ru of the Moscow Si-no-distant con-to-ry of the prince-zyu Shi-rin-sko-mu-Shih-ma-to-vu to accept for-ve- do-va-nie all-mi-under-go-vi-tel-na-mi me-ra-mi for the device and the introduction to the b-go-on-beam-no-mu windows-of-many-difficult-things related to the upcoming celebration of pro-glory-le-of tsa Se-ra-fi-ma."
This did not end the work of Fr. Se-ra-fi-ma, connected with pro-glory-le-ni-em pre-on-do-no-go. He wrote a short life of pre-do-no-go Se-ra-fi-ma Sa-rov-go-go and a short letter of Se-ra-fi- mo-Di-ve-ev-sko-go-mo-on-stay.
Returning after the Sarov celebrations to the ancient Suz-dal, Fr. Se-ra-fim started under-go-to-vi-tel-na-mi ra-bo-ta-mi to the next one-hundred-I-sche-mu feast-but-va-nia 500-le -tia from the day of the end of the pre-do-no-go Ev-fi-mia, Suz-dal-th-to-the-creator, and so-sta-vil life-not-opi -sa-nie this-th-holy. But he didn’t have to celebrate this anniversary in Suz-da-le. On February 14, 1904, he was appointed on a hundred-I-te-lem Vos-kre-sen-sko-go No-in-Jeru-sa-lim-so-mo- on-a-sta-rya, where I spent a year, but during this time I was su-chalk from-re-sta-vri-ro-va-ve-whether-tven-ny-so-bor-know-me-ni- that obi-the-whether.
April 28, 1905, in the Assumption so-bo-re of the Moscow-kovo-th Kremlin-la mit-ro-po-li-tom Vla-di-mir-rom (Bo-go- yav-len-skim), epi-sko-pom and epi-sko-pom Se-ra-fi-mom (Go-lu-byat-ni-ko-vym) ar-hi-mand-rit Se-ra-fim was chi-ro-to-ni-san in epi-sko-pa Su-hum-sko-go.
With chi-ro-to-nii, vla-dy-ka defined his life path in such a way: “Many-times-personal-but co-ver-sha-is-sya call Bo live! Neis-follow-di-we-ti Pro-vi-de-niya of God, pre-determined-de-la-yu-shchie-ti-che-lo-ve-ku. With me for the third time, in the continuation of the next two-on-tsa-ti years, they are re-re-in-ro-you, someone -rye me-nya-yut the whole structure of my life. Ho-tya, I never for-would-would-would-lit-ven-but pro-wipe my hands to God in hope-de on His mi-lo-ser-die and all-forgiveness, but could you imagine that my first-first-first secular path, which seemed natural and completely with-from-responsible-my-e-mu-birth-de-ny and re-pi-ta-ny, continuing so long and with such success, not the one who is destined for me by God? And how was I supposed to convince myself of this? Undoubtedly, but, by the way, is-p-ta-ny and sorry, because from-the-west, but that sorrow is the best pro-voz-west-no-ki-whether Bo - well, and from na-cha-la ve-ka they serve people-know-me-ni-em from the brotherhood of God. Is-py-tav from eight-mi-years-of-no-age-ra-ta si-mouth-stvo, equal-but-soul-shie of people, demon-power and convince-dividing in the need-ho-di-mo-sti to pro-lo-live your own life path with your own work and many years of learning, I’m on windows cha-nii about-ra-zo-va-niya, still in mo-lo-do-sti, went through all the horror-sy in-en-no-th time-me-no, in a move-gi-sa- mo-from-verification, but, kept alive by the divine Providence of God, he continued his first-in-the-first -th way, pre-ter-pe-vaya many-number-len-nye and different-but-different is-py-ta-niya, mourning and shaking, some-rye windows-chi-were family misfortune - widowhood. Don’t be so sorry, I’m quite convinced that this world, which is so hard, but to re-become to love, de la-et- through them our enemy and that I am pre-determined in my life in a special, thorny path ... you-va-t-God! Not in the same way that it requires unconditional conformity, perfect listening and all-whole pre-dan- nost in the will of God, yes-ru-e-mye Sam-mim Lord-in-the-house; it’s hard in a way that, as the saint says, the world, defeated by a swarm, captivated in her listening -nie, allowed in this way into her area, certainly brought his own spirit into it; in such a way, this enemy of Christ and Christ-sti-an-stva felt in the pre-de-lah of sa-mo-go christ-an-stva, covering being in the name of christ-an-sko-go-world, he acts freely and establishes-waits for himself worldly christ-an-stvo, becomes ra-et-sya ob-rat-but re-re-ro-to give the sons of the new ve-ry into the sons of the world-ra, the sons of the world-ra do not let-up until the birth-de- into the true life of Christ-an-sky, and on the non-correct ones he is armed with hatred, deceit, evil-word -em, cle-ve-ta-mi, pre-zre-ni-em and all sorts of oru-di-em lies.
Therefore, the life of people taken from the world and put on the spiritual path is especially ben-but a lot of hard work and a lot of sorrow naya. Something similar happened with me. Others op-i-sy-wa-whether me and ve-whether there-yes, where-yes I didn’t expect and didn’t dream of going, and these people were, of course -but, you-with-coy spirit of life. When, according to their holy prayers, the knowledge was opened in me that the Lord Himself requires such a re-re-me-we from me in the way for the sake of His Divine purposes, which is necessary for my whole future life, for pre-meaning -yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy for me, for my co-crucifixion with Christ, then in spite of any obstacles, given to me by the world, I fulfilled the holy hearing and sleep-cha-la took the priesthood, and by widowhood - mo-na -six-stvo. For a long time I re-re-but-strength condemned for these important steps in life and kept in the depths of my mournful heart -tin-nuyu with-chi-well them. But in the end, the Lord Himself justified my power in my next participation in the glorification of to the creator of the pre-better-but-go Se-ra-fi-ma. Now, by all-good in-le-God-yes, I am called to you-so-what service of the Church of Christ in the rank of episcopal pa.
Vla-dy-ka, as soon as he appeared in Georgia, he collided with a more formidable: re-vo-lu-tion of 1905 soon -lykh-nu-la Georgian na-tsio-na-lizm; and the bishop, with all his energy, began to fight against the embarrassment.
Bishop Se-ra-fim did not serve long at the Su-khum-ka-fed-re, and in 1906 he was transferred to Oryol. He stayed in the Orlov diocese until 1908. This is the time of vlad-dy-ka de-i-tel-but for-no-smal-sya the device of the church-kov-but-at-hod-sky life, or-ga-ni-zo-val in the diocese, the parish co-ve-you with the same-lo-no-eat on them are obligated-to-stay by the church sti.
Subsequently, Bishop Se-ra-fim, on the basis of his own experience in the Oryol diocese, composed “Ob-ra-sche- to the spirit of the diocese on the question of the birth-de-nii of the parish life. In the “Ob-ra-shche-nii”, point by point, all the sides of the parish life, in fractional terms, were explained elk, that such a revival of parish life, its purpose and what needs to be done to achieve the same-la-e-my rezul -ta-tov.
According to the opinion of the authorities Se-ra-fi-ma, “it is necessary to return to the church-but-community-no ancient -Russian-go-go-ho-yes, so that the par-hod-sky ob-shchi-on for-no-ma-lassed-but-shower-but not only about-sve-shche-no-eat , b-go-tvo-ri-tel-no-stu, mis-si-o-ner-stvo, but also the morality of their co-members, re-stand-new-le -ni-em the rights of the elders over the younger-shi-mi, ro-di-te-lei over the children, re-pi-ta-ni-em and ru-ko-vod-stvo mo-lo-to-go on -ko-le-niya, approve-zhde-ni-em hri-sti-an-sky and right-in-glorious mouths-new-le-niy.
For the revival of the de-niya of the shepherd and the parish life, no tre-bu-et-sya, first of all, the union of the past-you-ray with pa- with-we-mi. This-mu can help pas-tyr-skie meetings and congresses. The resurrection of the parish life should come from the bishop. If the next one doesn’t unite with one’s own power-no-ka-mi-pas-you-rya-mi, then they don’t unite between co-fight and with pri-ho-m-na-mi; if the bishop doesn’t pro-nick-no-sya this idea, re-birth-de-niya at-ho-yes, he won’t be-se-do-wat during the congress-yes dioceses with a past-you-rya-mi, give them the most fractional practical instructions, will not become with a full self -well-no-eat pe-re-pi-sy-va-sya with a mis-mind-va-yu-schi-mi-priest-no-ka-mi, filial in-pro-sha-yu- shchi-mi ar-khi-pas-you-rya in your-their-for-work-not-no-yah, will not print in “Epar-khi-al-nyh ve-do-mo- tyakh "his instructions and instructions, all that he would like to clarify and introduce, then the parish revival is not for- izoy-det and vital-na-cha-lo will not penetrate into our dead-ve-lye communities.
In 1907, the priest-priest-no-go Se-ra-fi-ma na-zna-chi-whether a member of Si-no-da; a year later - episcopal of Ki-shi-nev-skim and Kho-tin-skim. In Ki-shi-ne-ve, as before in Or-le, he took up the revival of the birth-de-no-e-ho-dov, having already rich experience. Vla-dy-ka ob-ez-zhal eparchy, be-se-do-val with the sacred-but-serve-te-la-mi, ino-ka-mi, mi-rya-on- mi and teaching-shi-mi-sya.
By this time, from-no-sit-is-the-riya from-the exile of the old man from the Op-ti-noy desert and re-re-vo-yes him in Go-lutvin mo-on-stash. According to I.M. Kon-tse-vi-cha, Bishop Se-ra-fim took a de-I-tel-participation in it on the side of the go-ni-te-lei elder. According to the story, the priest-shchen-ni-ka Va-si-liya Shu-st-i-na, spirit-hov-no-go son-on Fr. Var-so-no-fiya, de-lo about-sto-I-lo-ina-che: “There were people, who-eye was the wisdom of the ba-tyush-ki (Fr. Var-so- no-fiya - I.D.) do not let-va-la live, and the enemy is not dormant. A certain Mi-tya Kos-but-linguistic from the city of Ko-zel-ska was pouring into ski-tu. He was a drunkard and secretly but raz-rotated mo-na-hov. Ba-tyush-ka could not endure this and took him out of the ski-ta. This hour, against the ba-tyush-ki, from the open, the whole le-gi-he ... In Op-ti-well, with-e-ha-la women-pe-ter-burg-sko-go re-li-gi-oz-but-po-li-ti-che-sko-go circle gra-fi-ni Ig-na-tie-how and so -bra-la against ba-tyush-ki all about-vi-non-niya, which could only be poured out of thought. Bishop Se-ra-fim (Chi-cha-gov) came to Op-ti-nu, both-lil ba-tyush-ku, but de-lo him from-zy-va from Op- ti-noy would already be somewhere re-she-but. Father Var-so-no-fiy should-wife was to-kick the skete ... "
In Ki-shi-ne-ve, Vla-dy-ka Se-ra-fim served until 1912, when he was appointed arch-hi-epis-sko-pom of Tver-sky and Ka-shin-skim.
Re-vo-lu-tion of 1917 for-sta-la ar-hi-epi-sko-pa Se-ra-fi-ma in St. Peter-ter-burg; returning to Tver, he found out that the epar-khi-al-ny congress pro-go-lo-so-val for removing him from the diocese and Si-nod, ru-ko-vo -di-my chief-pro-ku-ro-rum Lvo-vym, sent him to rest.
Ar-hi-bishop Se-ra-fim was elected a member of the Po-mest-no-go So-bo-ra 1917/18. After So-bo-ra, he was elevated to the rank of mit-ro-po-li-ta with the sign-che-no-em in Var-sha-vu, but because of the -she-s-by-li-ti-che-skay ob-hundred-nov-ki could not from-right-twist to the place of on-significance, in-se-li-sya in Moscow and served in various churches.
During the First World War, from Poland, there was-lo eva-ku-i-ro-va-but to Russia, almost all right-in-glorious spirit- ho-ven-stvo. After the conclusion of the Brest peace, the question arose of the return to Poland of the spirit and property of the Pra - in the glorious Church. Mit-ro-po-lit Se-ra-fim gave an application to the Council of the Peoples of Ko-mis-sa-dov with a request to raz-re-sew him together ste with the spirit of you-go to Poland-shu, but in-lu-chil from-kaz. Soon, the civil war began, and all the hlo-po-you on the re-e-ez-d in Poland had to live from-lo-live. Vla-dy-ka-se-li-sya in the Cher-ni-gov-ski-tu-o-lo Tro-i-tse-Ser-gi-e-howl Lav-ra, where he lived, in- almost without leaving, until the end of 1920. In Jan-va-re 1921, he received pre-pee-sa-nie Si-no-da about the need to speed up the return to Var -sha-woo of the right-in-glory-no-th spirit-ho-ven-stvo and the church-kov-no-im-im-s-stva. Before him, before-ho-di-whether there were rumors about the plight of the right-of-glory-on-the-se-le-niya of Poland, someone swarm during the time of the war, there were almost no-shi-moose temples and spirits. Mit-ro-po-lit about-ra-til-sya to the manager-la-yu-shche-mu de la-mi Sov-nar-ko-ma Gor-bu-no-vu and in Na-rod-ny Ko-mis-sa-ri-at of foreign affairs with a request-fight you-clear-thread inquiring about sending-rights to Poland. And I received an answer that de-lo could be considered-re-re-but upon arrival in Moscow ofi-tsi-al-no-go-pol-sko-go before -sta-vi-tel-stva. In the spring of 1921, the pre-hundred-vi-te-whether Poland would arrive in Moscow; the power to set them up and explained the need for the return of the spirit to Poland. That hour, after the se-s-che-ing in-la-kov, he had a search from-ve-den and two letters were confiscated: one-but - the head of something-whether -che-church-vi in ​​Poland-she kar-di-na-lu Ka-pov-sko-mu, another - about-and-e-ray Vrublev-sko-mu, representing-becoming-lyav -she-mu in Var-sha-ve in-te-re-sy of the right-of-glory-no-go spirit-ho-ven-stva. On May 11, 1921, Vla-da-ka was summoned for interrogation in the Cheka to a certain Spitz-berg for an explanation-not-ny from-but-si-tel-no pi -sem.
After leaving, yes, mit-ro-po-li-ta, Spitzberg co-sta-vil for-the-key-che-thing that in no way they can’t let go Chi-cha-go-va to Poland, where he will act “as an emissary of the Russian-si-sko-go pat-ri-ar-ha” and “ko-or-di- ni-ro-vat - against the Russian working masses abroad -ta-lists under the flag of "friends of friends of Jesus." Svalbard on-tre-bo-shaft for-key-chit mit-ro-po-li-ta Se-ra-fi-ma in the Ar-Khan-Gel-sky concentration camp. With this, they were co-headed by the head of the 7th from de la SO of the Cheka Sam-so-nov and his deputy Agra-nov. At the same time, a secret collaborator of the Cheka reported that the authorities agi-ti-ru-et against the seizure of church prices -stay. June 24, 1921, so-hundred-I-elk for-se-da-nie su-deb-noy Troy-ki of the Cheka in so-hundred-ve Sam-so-no-va, Ape-te-ra and Feld -ma-na, some-rye in a hundred-but-vi-li: “Close civil-yes-ni-na Chi-cha-go-va in the Ar-khan-gel-sky conc- camp for a period of two years, ”but not from-yes-ra-re-s-the-same about his arrest and this-pi-ro-va-nii. And the vlad-ka continued to live in freedom and serve in the temples of Moscow, meanwhile, as the deadline for signing had already begun to count; mit-ro-po-li-ta are-sto-va-li only on September 12, 1921 and in a me-sti-li to the Tagan prison.
Immediately after his arrest, Na-ta-lya and Eka-te-ri-na Chi-cha-go-you began to hlo-po-tat before Ka-li-ni-nym o soften the learning from the father. They asked for the authorities to free him or at least leave him in prison in Moscow, teach-you-vaya age and bo - climb-no. Ka-li-nin na-pi-sal, which can be left in the Moscow prison "near-zi-tel-but half-go-di-ka." January 13, at the head of the 6th sec-ret-no-go from the de-le-tion of the Cheka Rut-kovsky, according to the race of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee was with-becoming-le-but for-key-ing according to “de-lu” mit-ro-po-li-ta: “With simplification in-lo-same-re-vo- lu-qi-on-noy with-in-power-sti in the conditions-vi-yah-on-one-hundredth-me-ne gr. Chi-cha-gov demon-si-len pre-accept something-bo-feel-ti-tel-but hostile-deb-noe against the RSFSR. In addition, taking into account his old age of 65 years, I guess, in-sta-new-le-ing about you-syl-ke for 2 years, with-me-thread conditionally, master-bo-div gr. Chi-cha-go-wa L.M. out of custody.” January 14, 1922, the pre-zi-di-mind of the Cheka in-hundred-no-vil to release mi-ro-po-li-ta from custody; On January 16, he went free. All winter, the vla-dy-ka was hurting hard.
However, the GPU did not at all co-bi-ra-moose from-let him free - and here it didn’t matter either age or sickness holy-ty-te-la, but only for the purpose of the self-institution. His pre-follow-to-va-li and ref-la-li not because of pro-ti-in-right-steps, but striving to-not-sti the Church as much as possible but more damage. On April 22, 1922, Rut-kovsky gave a new conclusion on the “de-lu” of mit-ro-po-li-ta: “Pri-ni-may in the -ma-nie that, jointly with Si-no-house, still-not-mu-de-de-sya re-ak-tsi-on-naya in-li-ti-ka against so-vet-sky power and that with na-li-chii in Si-no-de from-west-no-go re-ak-qi-o-ne-ra Chi-cha-go-va lo-yal -noe to the power of the spirit-ho-ven-stvo do not dare-whether-va-et-sya openly show your loyalty because of fear-no re-press -this one from the side Chi-cha-go-va, as well as the fact that the main reason for-chi-on after-before-vav-she-go liberation-god-de-niya Chi-cha-go-va from na-ka-za-ing it, supposedly an acute painful condition, not on-ho-dit-be-justification after his liberation-god-de-niya and not at all interferes with Chi-cha-go-woo for-no-mother-sya de-la-mi management-le-niya du-ho -ween-stva, in la-guy ... Chi-cha-go-wa Leo-ni-da Mi-hi-lo-vi-cha ... hold-hold and from-right-wind the stage- nym in a row in the races of the Ar-khan-gel-sko-gu-b-from-de-la for all-le-tion in the place-sto-residence , as an admin-no-stra-tiv-no-go exile-no-go term-com on June 24, 19 23"
25 ap-re-la su-deb-college of the GPU under the chairmanship of Un-sh-lih-ta pri-go-vo-ri-la mit-ro-po-li -ta Se-ra-fi-ma to exile in the Ar-Khan-Gel region.
In May 1922, the vla-dy-ka arrived in Ar-Khan-Gelsk at the very first time of arrests and su-deb-procedures on cases of deportation Tii church values. And immediately the GPU voz-na-me-ri-moose to-ask him to find out about me-ro-at-I-ty-yah, ka-sa-yu-shchih-sya withdrawal of church values. Mi-ro-po-lit was ill, could not appear at the GPU, and from-lo-lived his judgment-de-writing. “Living aside from the church administration and its races,” he wrote, “I’m just from yes to -b-gave for so-be-ti-i-mi and did not participate in the question about the removal of valuables from the temples for help- lo-da-yu-shche-mu on-se-le-nyu. Everything is on-pi-san-noe in modern-men-no-pe-cha-ti according to the ob-vi-not-ni-epis-ko-pov and the spirit-ho-ven-stva in incompatibility with the victim -in-va-nia of church values ​​​​for national needs pre-is-full-nya-lo my heart is the same hundred resentment and pain , for many years of my service experience, a close acquaintance with the spirituality and at the house of svi-de-tel-stvo-va-li me that in right-in-glorious Russia there can’t be a ve-ru-u-th-go-christ-a-ni-na, and even more so an episco-pa or a saint -puppy-no-ka, until-ro-zha-sche-go-dead-you-mi-price-but-stya-mi, church-kov-us-mi ukra-she-ni-i-mi, metal- scrap and stone-nya-mi is more than living-you-mi brother-tya-mi and sister-ra-mi, stra-da-yu-shi-mi from go-lo-da, die-ra-yu -shchi-mi from issuing and paining ... Feeling-of-wa-elk that, through someone else's fault, there was a ro-ko-voe under-ra-zu - me-nee ... "
In Ar-khan-gel-sk, the mit-ro-po-lit lived until the end of April 1923, and then, with the permission of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, he moved to Moscow; I didn’t take part in any church affairs, I went to the service in Da-ni-lov mo-on-stir to my spirits -ni-ku ar-khi-mand-ri-tu Ge-or-gyu Lav-ro-vu and ar-khi-epi-sko-pu, he himself almost never went anywhere and at himself ma-lo someone with-ni-small.
A lot of things in the life of se-mi-de-sya-ti-years-not-the-old old would-be connected with the pre-beautiful Se-ra-fi-mom Sa- ditch. Yes, now, twenty years later, after ka-but-no-for-tion pre-do-well-no-go, the GPU became-vi-lo to him in vi-well or-ga -no-for-tion of celebrations: “Ap-re-la 1b, 1924, gr. Chi-cha-gov Leo-nid Mi-hi-lo-vich was an are-sto-van secret from-de-scrap of the OGPU by the name of ma-te-ri-a-lam: in 1903, Chi-cha-go-woo was-lo in-ru-che-but ru-ko-vod-stvo and or-ga-ni-for-tion of opening the relics of Se-ra -fi-ma Sa-rov-sko-go ... "
Are-one-hundred-van-ny mit-ro-po-lit yes-shaft ob-yas-non-niya next-to-va-te-lu GPU of Kazan-sko-mu from-no-si-tel-but of my own participation in the discovery of the relics of the pre-good Se-ra-fi-ma: “I brought a direct participant the discovery of the relics of Se-ra-fi-ma Sa-rov-go according to the race of Si-no-da, approved by Ni-ko -la-em; the last one learned about my closeness to Di-ve-ev-sko-mu-on-sta-ryu from the former prince-gi-ni Mi-li-tsy Ivanov-nov- us. I know that Se-ra-fim was a special favor-by-no one at Ro-ma-no-vyh. Approximately 5 years before the discovery of the relics of Se-ra-fi-ma, I wrote-sal from various sources “Le-to- the letter of Se-ra-fi-mo-Di-ve-ev-th-mo-on-stay”.
Consequence of in-te-re-so-va-elk, is there no-to-pi-si on-me-kov on re-in-lu-tsi-on-events, to modern confusion in the state, in the Church and in society in connection with the story that you are according to the b-go-lo-ve-niyu pre-dob-no-go Se-ra-fi-ma ka-nav-ku an-ti-christ does not re-rey-det. Vla-dy-ka from-ve-chal: “Go-to-rya about“ ka-nav-kah ”... I’m sub-ra-zu-me-vayu ras-in-ry-s-s-ra -fi-ma about you-ry-tii kan-nav and predicting it in connection with the future of is-it-ri-her Lav-ra, someone must- to be you-stro-e-na on this eye-pan-nom place, about the fate of this Lav-ra and ka-na-wok in the days of an-ti-christ-hundred. But my book does not contain any na-me-kov for confusion in the state, in the Church, in society.
On May 8, 1924, pat-ri-arch Ti-khon gave the OGPU a ho-da-tay-stvo about the release of god-de-nii on-ho-div-she-go-sya in Bu-tyr- sky prison-me mit-ro-po-li-ta Se-ra-fi-ma, pre-sta-re-lo-go and pain-no-go, for lo-yal-noe from-no-she-nie something-ro-go to the essence of civil power, he, pat-ri-arch Ti-hon, ru-cha-et-sya.
The letter could have been better than Cloudy on the next day and left without consequences, de-lo went its own way -House. Finally, on July 17, 1924, the authorized officer of the OGPU Gudz proposed-lo-lived to release mit-ro-po-li-ta Se-ra-fi-ma from - under guard, and soon he was released. At this time, the authorities at-ka-for-whether living in Moscow ar-khi-ere-yam to-ki-nut the city. Vla-dy-ka-ho-tel in-se-pour-sya in the Di-ve-ev-sky mo-on-sta-re, but ygu-me-niya mo-on-sta-rya Alexander (Tra- kov-sky) to him in this from-ka-za-la.
Mit-ro-po-li-ta Se-ra-fi-ma pri-nya-la ygu-me-niya Ar-se-niya (Good-ro-nra-vo-va) in Vos-kre-sen-sky -Fe-o-do-rov-sky female mo-na-stay, na-ho-div-shy-sya-o-lo-go-da Shui Vla-di-mir-sky region-la-sti.
Vla-dy-ka p-e-hal with daughter Na-ta-lya (in the mo-na-she-stvo Se-ra-fi-ma), someone-paradise would be very close- like to the father and a lot of help to him in the key and in the link.
In the monastery, the mit-ro-po-lit often served a hundred, and on Sundays and holidays, always. After such services, arrange a festive dinner, on which there was a presence and mit-ro-po-lit Se-ra-fim.
A beautiful connoisseur of singing and himself a co-chi-ni-tel of the spirit of music, mi-ro-po-lit nie gave church-kov-no-mu ho-ru, ra-zu-chi-vaya with mo-on-styr-ski-mi singer-chi-mi song-no-sing and pro-vo-dya singing.
Blessed are the years, for some he lived in mo-on-sta-re. The red bone world reigned among the se-sters, who loved-b-shih and chi-tav-shih their yoke-me-nia as the first in motion and sa-mo-go humble-ren-no-go in mo-on-sta-re che-lo-ve-ka. And what a pleasure it was to listen to mi-ro-po-li-ta when he read the second part of “Le-to-pi-si Se-ra-fi- mo-Di-ve-ev-sko-go mo-na-stay-rya ”, describe-sy-va-yu-sche-of-existence, before-the-s-stvo-vav-shie ka-no-ni- for-tion pre-add-but-go Se-ra-fi-ma. In “Le-to-pee-si”, it would be in a fractional way to describe that turmoil, someone-paradise happened in Si-no-de, when as time went on, all-churches-but glorify the pre-do-no-go Se-ra-fi-ma. Before the re-in-lu-tion, the ru-ko-piss wouldn’t be-la before-pu-sche-on to the pe-cha-ti cen-zu-roy, but after the re-in-lu-tion, pre-kra -ty-elk christ-sti-an-book-go-pe-cha-ta-nie. “Le-the-piss” later on would be-la are-sto-va-na on one of the searches and pro-pa-la.
In 1928, the mit-ro-po-lit Se-ra-fim was appointed manager of the St. Petersburg eparchy. For the two years that he lived in mo-on-sta-re, everything was accustomed to the authorities and loved him. Participation in divine-service-zhe-ni-yah and sa-ma life is a lot of knowing-th-ro-po-li-ta, participation-no-tor-same -noy ka-no-ni-za-tion pre-do-no-go Se-ra-fi-ma, re-in-mi-na-niya about meetings with people, knowing-shi- mi pre-be-good-no-go, and reading “Le-to-pi-si” is all-ma-decorated-sha-whether much mournful in the present conditions mo-on-styr-sky life. Pro-vo-dy would be tro-ga-tel-nye and sad. Mo-na-hi-no-no-ma-li, that they are breaking up with him forever. Together with the power of the igu-me-niya Ar-se-niya from-pu-sti-la mo-na-hin Se-va-sti-a-well and Ve-ru, some-rye could it be to him in the mo-at-sta-re and subsequently, could it be to him in the household before his arrest.
At that time, when other ar-hi-heres co-le-ba-lied in recognition of ka-no-nothing-no-sti of the power of mit-ro-po-li- that Ser-gia (Stra-go-rod-sko-go), mit-ro-po-lit Se-ra-fim recognized her immediately. Man-lo-century in a row, having got used to thinking in ka-te-go-ri-yah of a strict hierarchy, he considered restoring prices -tra-li-zo-van-noy of power is the most important thing. According to-no-she-niyu to the power of the vla-dy-ka with-der-zh-val-sya principle-qi-pa: "For-kon su-ditch, but this is for-kon."
He co-sewed his first li-tour-gy in Peter-burg-ge in the Pre-ob-ra-women-so-bo-re on Li-tey-nom pro-spec-te, where -was once an old-ro-stand.
Re-zi-den-tion mit-ro-po-li-ta would-la in But-in-de-vi-whose mo-on-sta-re. In the very first week of his reign, he gathered here the priests of the city and, pointing out to them that “it’s not their business - ti-ka and it’s not for them to condemn ar-hi-ere-ev ”, began from-chi-you-vat for those inconsistencies, someone managed to mark for whether -tour-gi-ey. He ka-te-go-ri-che-ski for-pre-til pro-ve-de-nie is-on-ve-di during li-tour-gy, as well as general is- after all.
Vla-dy-ka served every Sunday in one of the temples of the city-ro-da or at-go-ro-da. After the service, he would pro-po-ve-do-shaft. In short and strong words, he explained the meaning of the Ta-in-stvo, as the strength of the prayer after the pre-existence of the Gifts:
- The Holy Spirit, - said-vo-ril mit-ro-po-lit, - pre-existing-la-et on the pre-sto-le of Da-ra, but He descends on each th of us, re-new-la-et on our souls, mental forces, all prayer, if it comes from from the whole heart, it will be half-not-on.
And when mit-ro-po-lit after the b-go-word-ve-tion Darov pre-klo-nyat ko-le-ni, pri-pa-daya to the pre-sto-lu, everything mo-la-schi-e-sya pa-da-li prostrate.
He saw particular importance in the preservation of the Sacraments, as they are for-ve-da-we-of-the-church-of-tra-di-qi-her and sacred you-mi from-tsa-mi. The priest wrote about the vlady-ke, that he, in his pre-kla-de, against the general is-on-ve-di, by the way, go-in -ril: “No-any general is-in-ve-di does not exist either in antiquity, or later, and nowhere about it do not mention-mi-na-et-sya on the pro-ty-the-same-nii of the entire history of the Pra-in-the-glorious Church-vi ... -ve-di yav-la-et-sya obviously for-me-no-no-for-vetero-no-go Ta-in-stva vet-ho-for-vet-nym about-row-house " .
On Fridays in the Church of the Sign of the Sign at the Mos-kov-sko-go wok-za-la, where there was an aisle of pre-dob-no-go Se-ra-fi-ma , mit-ro-po-lit chi-tal aka-fist pre-po-dob-no-mu. Chi-tal by heart, and after aka-fi-hundred be-se-do-val with a-ro-house.
Especially-bo-chi-tal vlad-dy-ka-ri-tsu Heavenly and often spoke about the great love of God-she-her Ma-te-ri for the earth le Russian. “This love appeared in the many icons of God-mother Ma-te-ri in Holy Russia. But did our sins grow and without-for-co-tion: the Mother of God from-sto-pee-la from us, and the holy miraculously-creative icons hid -we are the Tsars of Heaven, and yet there will be no knowledge from the holy miraculous-to-creative icon of God-mother Ma-te-ri, not I believe that we are pro-sche-us. But I believe that there will be such a time and we will live to see it.
All my life, mit-ro-po-lit fought for chi-to-that right-to-glory. The holy righteous John of Kronstadt not long before his death, blessing him for the last time, said:
- I can die, somehow, knowing that you and the reverend Her-mo-gen boo-de-te continue to reap my de-lo, boo-de- those fight for the right-to-glory, for which I bless you.
All my life, power for-no-small-sya b-go-your-ri-tel-no-stu. Still being in-en-nym, he paid attention to the demon-powerfulness of persons in-en-no-go-house, race-building your health during the course of the service. He established a charitable society with the help of the military, someone who would not be in the state of the effect of bo-lez-no-to-live and would you-need-de-we-you-go-dit at a rate to gain rights to a pension.
Mit-ro-po-lit Se-ra-fim for-bo-til-sya about de-tyah-si-ro-tah, ro-di-te-whether someone died in the war. Shi-ro-kai free-of-charge me-di-qing practice-ti-ka vla-dy-ki would-la on-right-le-na on ease-of-stra-da-ny guardians. During the Russian-Japanese war, according to his blessing, for-mi-ro-va-lis sa-ni-tar-nye-drive-yes, and he himself co-bi-ral in-victim-in-va-niya.
Giving a huge significance to the birth-de-niyu of the life of the walk, the power of Se-ra-fim considered it necessary to-ho-di-mym through parish co-ve-you or-ga-ni-zo-you-vat schools, biblio-te-ki and hundred-lo-vye.
Himself from-ve-giving go-speech of bonds and links, he with love-bo-view and b-go-go-ve-ni-em ho-ro-nil died-she-go in prison-me ar- hi-epi-sko-pa. Te-lo his you-yes-relatives-no-kam in a rough-bo-lo-chen-nom coffin. When the coffin was opened, no one recognized the vlady, so because of me, his appearance was key and sickness. Vla-dy-ka Se-ra-fim brought his white gown and white mitre. According to the ob-la-che-nii body-lo ar-hi-epi-sko-pa in-lo-zhi-li in another coffin. From-pe-va-nie co-performed himself mit-ro-po-lit Se-ra-fim in co-serving six ar-khi-ere-ev and many du -ho-ven-stva.
The power of Se-ra-fi-ma had many spirit children. Saved his letter from the exile (Ar-khangelsk, 1922) to the spirit-hov-no-mu sy-well Alek-sey Be-la-e-vu. Here you take it from him: “We are all people, and it’s impossible that the living sea doesn’t pe-ni-moose its-and-mi-sra-mo-ta-mi, dirt would not have surfaced-wa-la on-ru-zhu and this would not have cleared deep-bi-on the whole verse.
But you, be only with Christ, the only Truth, Is-ti-noy and Lu-bo-view, and with Him everything is beautiful, everything is understandable, everything is one hundred and comfort-shi-tel-but. Get away with your mind and heart, in thought-la-mi from evil, someone-swarm has power over without-bla-go-data-us, and take care of one -nom - keep the thread in yourself, according to faith, divine grace, through someone, everything is in us Christ and His world .
It is impossible not to see this evil; but after all, it is quite possible not to allow it to be from God’s truth. Yes, it is also terrible, but in its own manifestations-le-ni-pits, but how unfortunate are those who obey it. After all, we don’t from-ka-zy-va-em-study is-ti-well and listen to smart people, because they exist among us su-ma-descended into pain-no-tse and free-bo-de. Such facts are not averse to life; consequently, to-va-tel-but, from the path of truth and goodness should not, but bring us down that time-on-mi evil si-la manifests its earth -noe mo-gu-s-stvo. God doesn’t ru-ha-eat, but what a person reaps, what he sows.
Learn inner-ren-her mo-lit-ve, so that she would not be for-me-che-on according to your appearance and not embarrass anyone. The more we for-nya-you internal-ren-her mo-lit-howl, the fuller, wiser and happier our life is in general. And time passes without-met-her, faster. For that, especially-ben-but climbed on Jesus-co-va mo-lit-va and own short-mouths from-re-che-niya “help me, Go-po-di" or "for-shchi-ty and strengthen-pi", or "teach" and so on.
Mo-lya-shchi-sya internally, looks at everything external-it is equal-but-soul-but, dis-se-yan-but, because this prayer is not mental, but ser-dech-naya, from de-la-yu-schaya from the top of the earth and closer to the invisible-di-my Sky.
Learn to forgive all their shortcomings and mistakes, and in view of the sub-chi-non-niya of their evil power, and, no doubt, insanely small co-hundred -i-niya du-ha. Go-in-ri se-be:
“Help him, Lord, for he is spirit-but sick!” Such a knowledge hinders condemnation, for only one who is self-completed and does not make a mistake can judge, he knows everything, and most importantly, he knows for certain that a person does not act according to the circumstances that have been created in -circle him, but in his own way, out of his own way, according to his own passion.
In Peter-burg-ge, the mit-ro-po-lit served for five years; On October 14, 1933, by decree of Si-no-da, he was sent to rest. On october 24, he performed his last service at the Spa Moscow. For the first time, the vla-da-ka lived in the re-zi-den-tion of mit-ro-po-li-ta Ser-gius (Stra-go-rod-ko-go), look -va-li-li-sche. In the beginning of 1934, he went to Ma-la-hov-ke, and then he went to the Udel-naya station, where he was half yes chi. It would be two small rooms and a kitchen. In one room-on-they would-la arrange-e-on the bedroom of the vla-dy-ki, with a large number of books, icons and work writing-men- scrap table. Another com-on-that from-ve-de-on under a hundred-lo-vuyu-go-sti-nuyu. Here is a hundred-I-whether a dinner table, fis-gar-mo-niya and di-van; on the wall hung a large image of Spa-si-te-la in a white hi-tone, on-pi-san-ny vla-dy-koy.
Quiet-we-mi and without-me-tezh-us-mi would-whether the next months of life-no mit-ro-po-li-ta in Udel-noy. My most mournful thing would be old age and the pains associated with it. He suffered greatly from hyper-to-nii, shortness of breath, and later from water, so that he re-moved with difficulty and almost didn’t go out of the house. In the afternoon, spiritual de-ti come to him, others come from Peter-burg; in-se-scha-whether vla-dy-ku mit-ro-po-li-you Alex-siy (Si-mansky) and Ar-se-niy (Stad-nits-kiy), coming for-se-da-niya Si-no-da. Ve-che-ra-mi, when everyone went-go-di-lissed, mit-ro-po-lit sat-dil-sya for fis-gar-mo-nia and long-go-long-go-ig- ral from the western spiritual music or co-chi-nyal himself. And then, the world and once-whether-would-have-been all over the place. Bla-go-dat-naya life is under-ho-di-la to the end. She remains a little. And what else to do, how else, with infirmities and illnesses, to work hard for the Lord. And so he wanted to be the only one - to be next to the reverend, he once served someone.
But what can you do to those abode, where he lives, having spent his whole life pissing in himself the flesh with its passions and at least? Only mu-che-no-thing. First-christian-sti-an-sky crown.
Mit-ro-po-li-ta are-sto-va-li in the deep autumn of 1937. He was-lo-seven-de-syat four-you-re-yes, and a few of the following days he felt himself completely sick, so the NKVD co-labor didn’t work to take him away in the Arestant car - did you call an ambulance and take him to Ta -Ghanaian prison. They decide to kill him. Do-pros was a form-mal-no-stu. 7 de-kab-rya Troy-ka of the NKVD in a hundred-no-vi-la: mit-ro-po-li-ta Se-ra-fi-ma - shoot.
All in all, on that day, the Troy of the NKVD in the Moscow region was-lo when-go-in-re-but to the race a few de-syat-kov-lo - century When-go-in-ren-ny times-de-li-whether for several parties. On the first day, 9 de-kab-rya, ras-stra-la-li five people, on the next day - so-rock one-no-go-lo-ve Well, the next day, five more people, and among them, mit-ro-po-li-ta Se-ra-fi-ma. Ras-stra-whether-wa-whether it’s not-yes-le-ku from de-rev-no Bu-to-near-house with Moscow in a spacious then du-bo-how ro- more, something-ruyu fence-di-li from all sides deaf-him for-bo-rum. On the oak trees, would there be a viewing platform, from where to protect the zone at the smat-ri-va-la, so that during the races -shots, and then, when for-ho-ro-not-nii here, they didn’t come closer. Ras-str-li-va-la bri-ga-da pa-la-chey, sometimes come-ez-zh-lo ras-str-li-vat on-boss-stvo.
Not long before the are-hundred mit-ro-po-lit Se-ra-fim go-vo-ril: “The right-to-glorious Church this hour is re-re-zhi-va-et time is-py-ta-ny. Whoever remains this hour is faithful to the Holy Apostolic Church - that spa-sen will be. Many now, because of pre-follow-to-va-ny, from-departure from the Church, others yes-yet-yet-yut. But from the history of ho-ro-sho from-the-west, but that before there were go-not-nia, but they all ended with the celebration of Christ-sti-an -stva. So it will be with this go-no-no-eat. It is window-read-sya, and right-in-glory-vie again rises-tor-the-same-is. Now, many people are suffering for the faith, but this is gold-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o in the spiritual mountain-ni-le is-py-ta-ny. After this, there will be so many sacred-but-mu-che-no-kov, after suffering for the faith of Christ-to-vu, as much as he does not remember the whole history of christi-an-stva.
After are-a-hundred mit-ro-po-li-ta Se-ra-fi-ma, two of his ke-lei-ni-tsy remained, mo-na-hi-ni Ver-ra and Se-va- sti-a-na. Mo-na-hi-nu Ver-ru are-sto-wa-li in a few days after are-hundred mi-ro-po-li-ta. Mo-na-hi-nya Se-va-sti-a-na not for-ho-te-la leave her and follow-to-va-la after her kindly. Both would-whether we-go-in-re-us to the key-che-niyu in the camp. Mother Se-va-sti-a-na there died-la, and mother Ver-ra came back five years after the end of the term for-a-key-che-niya and died in 1961 go-du with their relatives in the Vyatka region.

Igu-men Da-mas-kin (Or-lovsky)

“Mu-che-ni-ki, is-by-ved-ni-ki and in-motion-ni-ki of the goodness of the Russian Right-of-the-glorious-church of the twentieth century -tiya. Life-not-describe-sa-niya and ma-te-ri-a-ly to them. Book 2. Tver. 2001. S. 423-450

Prayers

Troparion to Hieromartyr Seraphim (Chichagov), Metropolitan of Petrograd, Tone 5

The king of the king of heaven / Page Zemmano Love, / Minister Family Holy Trinity appeared. / Insertions of the Kronstadtskago Shepherd / In the Heart of His Factory, / This Ti from God the diverse dating / to the benefits of the people of God of God's prum. / You were able to suffer even to the point of bloodshed. / Hieromartyr Seraphim, / pray to Christ God / / be saved to our souls.

Translation: Having loved the host of the King of Heaven more than the earthly, you became a fiery servant of the Holy Trinity. Keeping the teachings in your heart, you multiplied the diverse gifts given to you from God for the benefit of the people of God. You were a teacher and defender of the unity of the Church, deigning to suffer for Christ to death. Hieromartyr Seraphim, pray to Christ God for the salvation of our souls.

Kontakion to Hieromartyr Seraphim (Chichagov), Metropolitan of Petrograd, Tone 6

The Sarov Wonderworker Teso-Genentitis, / Warm love for him, had, / written their feats and miracles of the world, / returning to his glorification, ESIA / and thanksgiving / Samago Rev. Revitalgo was encouraged by Esphim, / in Settling in heavenly devils, / pray to Christ God / / seraphim joys to be a partaker of us.

Translation: You bore the same name with and had warm love for him, proclaiming in your writings the exploits and miracles of his world, you encouraged the believers to glorify him and received a grateful visit from the reverend himself. With him now, Holy Martyr Seraphim, having settled in the heavenly chambers, pray to Christ God to become partakers of joy for us.

Magnification to Hieromartyr Seraphim (Chichagov), Metropolitan of Petrograd

We magnify you, / Hieromartyr Seraphim, / and honor your holy memory, / for you pray for us / / Christ our God.

Prayer to Hieromartyr Seraphim (Chichagov), Metropolitan of Petrograd

Oh, great and marvelous saint of Christ, Hieromartyr Seraphim! Now accept our humble song of thanksgiving and implore the Almighty God in the Inseparable Trinity, the glorified One, to send us peace and prosperity, so that our power will be saved from ruin. With your love and wisdom, bring the people of Russia to the unity of the cathedral and protect from heresies and schisms. By the power of your intercession, patience in sorrows and illnesses has been sent down to us. Oh, all-praise saint of Christ! Ask the All-merciful God to grant us repentance before the end, so that we may be able to see with you the faces of His indescribable kindness, singing the praises of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

Canons and Akathists

Text approved by the Holy Synod
Russian Orthodox Church
April 15, 2008 (magazine #14)

Kondak 1

The elected bishop and the good warrior of Christ, / Holy Father Seraphim, / I will form a commendable singing, / you bo, with all the heart of God to love, / Verne him even before the death of Esi / and the crown of the Heavenly Glory Friend. / Skinny to the Lord, / implore the Church of Russia to remain unshakable / and be saved as the son of your earthly fatherland, / yes, with love we call you:

Ikos 1

Imitating the angelic ministry, the wise Saint Seraphim, the zealot of the Orthodox faith appeared to you and, having a fiery soul, you were a fair mentor to many people. But we, thanking God, who gave us such a glorious archpastor, we sing to you singing:

Rejoice, glorious kind of good vegetation;

Rejoice, inextinguishable lamp of faith.

Rejoice, beloved child of God;

Rejoice, in Him alone we put hope.

Rejoice, red fruit of our fatherland;

Rejoice, zealous prayer to the Lord.

Rejoice, full of love for God and people;

Rejoice, serving the people of Bulgaria with a feat of arms.

Rejoice, Hieromartyr Seraphim, fiery champion of the Orthodox faith.

Kondak 2

Seeing yourself as a young child and a child, O all-glorious Seraphim, Thou didst bring sorrow to the Father of the orphans of the heart; But we, glorifying the Heavenly Father, who leaves not a single orphan, we sing with you to Him: Alleluia.

Ikos 2

The mind of those who honor you, the saint, is perplexed, how many talents the Lord has given, even you, as a faithful servant of Christ, have multiplied this one for the glory of the Church. For the sake of the Lord, seeing your faithfulness in the little things, put you above many, but we cry out to you with love:

Rejoice, instructed in the truths of Christian childhood;

Rejoice, from the youth of the Lord you have loved with all your heart.

Rejoice, in the trials of many God wondrously kept;

Rejoice, feats of courage, like a good warrior, manifesting in battle.

Rejoice, thou who comprehended the laws of God in His creation;

Rejoice, sympathetic to people who are sick and sick.

Rejoice, thou who bestowed healing on people with healing woods;

Rejoice, thou who hast become like a holy unmercenary physician.

Rejoice, Hieromartyr Seraphim, fiery champion of the Orthodox faith.

Kondak 3

Sylow Vynyago Direver, in the rank of the Horseman to God to serve Espel, the Saint Seraphim, and the blessing of the righteous of Kronstadtskago strengthened, the whole of the Red World of this, Yako Meli, imposed Esi and, for the ministry of pastoral jealous rusty, rising, kind of fruit. Este To the Builder God: Alleluia.

Ikos 3

Having concern for the Church of Christ, the holy righteous John, before his death, bless you with a holy icon and testament, as your spiritual child, to fight for Orthodoxy. But we, praising your zeal in fulfilling the will of God, cry out to you with reverence:

Rejoice, obedience to the shepherd of Kronstadt, kind zealot;

Rejoice, faithful executor of his commandments.

Rejoice, defending your spiritual father from reproach;

Rejoice, calling upon the faithful to unanimity.

Rejoice, God-wise nurturer of your flock;

Rejoice, constant guardian of the statutes of the church.

Rejoice, preacher of the purity of the Orthodox faith;

Rejoice, reverent guardian of the traditions of the father.

Rejoice, Hieromartyr Seraphim, fiery champion of the Orthodox faith.

Kondak 4

A storm of bewilderment confuses you, holy hierarch, when the blessed old woman Paraskeva revealed to you the command of the Venerable Seraphim, to tell the Emperor of Russia about the discovery of his holy relics. You, following this call, compiled the chronicle of the Diveevsky monastery, and in glorifying the ascetic of Sarov, you labored diligently, singing to God: Hallelujah.

Ikos 4

Hearing the faithful people of your grace-filled labors, glorification for the sake of the Sarov ascetic, St. Seraphim, glorified God, who gave you wisdom and reason. For this sake, we too, remembering your deeds, cry out to you with a voice of praise:

Rejoice, ardently loving venerable Seraphim;

Rejoice, thou who glorified him with thy diligent labors.

Rejoice, worthy of his blessed visit;

Rejoice, by the promise of the elder, to abide together, rejoiced.

Rejoice, fortified by his holy prayers;

Rejoice, wonderfully enlightened by the light of his love.

Rejoice, for thou hast made thy heart with the tablets of the Spirit of God;

Rejoice, for thou hast illumined the souls of the faithful with the Divine mind.

Rejoice, Hieromartyr Seraphim, fiery champion of the Orthodox faith.

Kondak 5

Like a divine star, thou hast shone, venerable one, when the baton of the bishops is handed over by the Lord and entrusted to watch over your flock of many cities and towns of Russia. But you, believing your soul for people, showed you a lot of virtues and, protecting the purity of Orthodoxy, you planted Christian piety, calling to sing to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 5

Seeing the impoverishment of faith among our people, as a vigilant guardian of the Church of Christ, you appeared, O God-wise, and, following the testament of St. We, rejoicing about this, say to you, sitz:

Rejoice, wise steward of your flock;

Rejoice, good adorner of temples and abodes of God.

Rejoice, having shown zeal in serving as a hierarch;

Rejoice, you who reverently approach the sacraments of the Church.

Rejoice, thou who applied the thought of God to the deed;

Rejoice, thou who taught prayer as the foundation of virtues.

Rejoice, having acquired many virtues with your humility;

Rejoice, showing the way to salvation.

Rejoice, Hieromartyr Seraphim, fiery champion of the Orthodox faith.

Kondak 6

Preaching the word of truth, you called upon Saint Seraphim, the shepherds, together with the laity, to revive the life of the church, so that the Orthodox faith would not be quenched by their zeal, but let the truth of God instruct the Russian people to sing the hymn of praise to God: Alla.

Ikos 6

Ascend grace, to the holy hierarch Father Seraphim, in your life, for you, applying labor to labor and having vigilant care for the children of the church, having a true shepherd of Christ in the lands of Russia, thou hast appeared. For this sake we sing to you:

Rejoice, good caretaker of pastoral ministry;

Rejoice, wondrous acquirer of the wisdom of God.

Rejoice, adorned with many gifts from the Lord;

Rejoice, zealous preacher of the true faith.

Rejoice, detractor of heresies and soul-damaging teachings;

Rejoice, true protection and protection for the young from the temptations of the world.

Rejoice, in the well-being of the Church you saw the salvation of Russia;

Rejoice, thou who faithfully served our Fatherland until the end of thy days.

Rejoice, Hieromartyr Seraphim, fiery champion of the Orthodox faith.

Kondak 7

Although in Orthodoxy establish the Russian country and protect the enemy of the visible and invisible from destruction, you were ill with your heart about your Fatherland, St.

Ikos 7

The Lord will reveal the new Seraphim to you, when the darkness of godlessness comes to our Fatherland. But you, the saint, imitating the namesake elder, diligently prayed to the Most Holy Theotokos, like the Intercessor of the Zealous, that she would open the doors of His mercy and strengthen the people of Russia in the Orthodox faith. For this sake we cry out to you:

Rejoice, full of sincere love for the Mother of God;

Rejoice, comforted by Her mercy to the land of Russia.

Rejoice, as the Intercessor of the Fatherland and the Indestructible Wall Yu is the gospel;

Rejoice, having strengthened the flock by prayer to Her.

Rejoice, diligent and warm prayer before Her;

Rejoice, dedicated admirer of Her Herbovetsky icon.

Rejoice, glorious Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos over the monastery of Diveyevo;

Rejoice, many miracles of grace, from Neiyya, writing off.

Rejoice, Hieromartyr Seraphim, fiery champion of the Orthodox faith.

Kondak 8

We see the glorious manifestation of the power of God on you, St. Seraphim of Christ, when armed with the cross, with the word of grace, the Orthodox people from unbelief protected thou, but the erring and perverted thou didst admonish, crying unceasingly to God:

Ikos 8

All the time, like a fiery seraphim, all-blessed father, vigilantly take care of your verbal flock. The same, like a good shepherd, we sing songs of praise like this:

Rejoice, firm fortification of the Orthodox Church;

Rejoice, heresies and schisms fearless shame.

Rejoice, quick help to those who are suffering and in trouble;

Rejoice, wondrous healer of the soul of the weak.

Rejoice, meek enlightener of those who have fallen away from Orthodoxy;

Rejoice, wise punisher of the troubled and embittered.

Rejoice, bringing those who erred to repentance;

Rejoice, cold warming love of your heart.

Rejoice, Hieromartyr Seraphim, fiery champion of the Orthodox faith.

Kondak 9

Every angelic nature is grieved, when the people of the earth depart from God with our coldness of faith. You, the fearless defender of Orthodoxy, have appeared, having prepared yourself for martyrdom. To those who please you, with reverence we cry out to God: Hallelujah.

Ikos 9

The ornate tongue is impoverished before the multitude of gifts, from God given to you, venerable father, having used it wisely, like a prolific olive tree, thou hast appeared. But we, even if we are inexperienced, both your children are, we praise you:

Rejoice, zealous preacher of the words of God;

Rejoice, diligent teacher of the shepherds and people of the church.

Rejoice, brave warrior of our fatherland;

Rejoice, valiant performer of feats of arms with the help of God.

Rejoice, soul and body loving healer;

Rejoice, skilled painter of holy images.

Rejoice, wise composer of church songs;

Rejoice, reverent compiler of the deeds of the saints of God.

Rejoice, Hieromartyr Seraphim, fiery champion of the Orthodox faith.

Kondak 10

At least save the people of Russia, put you Christ, Father Seraphim, the faithful shepherd of the verbal sheep, so that they will not be wasted in the time of godlessness. But you, following the call of God and instructing the blessing of the righteous John of Kronstadt, you zealously defended Orthodoxy and called upon people in brotherly love to sing to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 10

The wall of intercession was the Mother of God Virgin, father, loving child, when you endured persecution and prison bonds. The Church, in troubles, and the children of her faithful ones, with your prayers and pastoral care, strengthened you. For this sake, the Orthodox world glorifies you this way:

Rejoice, faithful novice of His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon;

Rejoice, imitator of the Hieromartyr Peter in the confession of faith.

Rejoice, sincere ascetic Metropolitan Sergius;

Rejoice, worthy servant of the altar of the Lord.

Rejoice, you who betrayed everything to yourself as a sacrifice to the Lord;

Rejoice, thou who endured much persecution.

Rejoice, reproach in captivity meekly received;

Rejoice, having preserved the Orthodox faith even to death.

Rejoice, Hieromartyr Seraphim, fiery champion of the Orthodox faith.

Kondak 11

You brought the singing of all tenderness to the Most Holy Trinity with your heart and life, Saint Seraphim, especially with the death of a martyr, glorifying God; for this sake thou hast gone to the abode of heaven, where with angelic faces sing to the Trinitarian God: Hallelujah.

Ikos 11

The light of Christ enlighten you from infancy, to Saint Seraphim, for this sake, like a lamp, thou hast shone forth among the people with many virtues. But we, abiding in the darkness of our sins and sorrows, are edified by your wonderful life and with hope we glorify you:

Rejoice, like a faithful servant who followed Christ;

Rejoice, the image of a virtuous life and the death of a martyr.

Rejoice, having shamed your enemies with unquestioning faith;

Rejoice, in torment, like gold in the furnace, cleansed.

Rejoice, for in your weakness you showed the power of God;

Rejoice, for with humility you put the wiles of the devil to shame.

Rejoice, acquiring blessed glory from God;

Rejoice, crowned with an incorruptible crown with the new martyrs.

Rejoice, Hieromartyr Seraphim, fiery champion of the Orthodox faith.

Kondak 12

By the grace of the Holy Spirit, you completed the course of life and you kept the faith unharmed, St. Seraphim of Christ. For this sake, thou hast received the crown of truth, prepared for you from the Ascetic Christ, Him, in joy standing with the new martyrs and confessors of Russia, cry out: Alleluia.

Ikos 12

Singing a song of praise to God, the Lover of mankind, wondrous in His saints, we glorify you, Father Seraphim, as a treasure of the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit has appeared. For this sake, in tenderness of the heart, we call out to you:

Rejoice, having settled in the abode of heaven;

Rejoice, ever magnifying the Most Holy Trinity.

Rejoice, thou who art in white robes before the Lamb of God;

Rejoice, filled with an abundance of spiritual joy.

Rejoice, magnified in the person of the saints of Christ;

Rejoice, glorified New Martyr of Russia in the host.

Rejoice, I am a shameless intercessor for us before the Lord;

Rejoice, quick performer of prayers with faith who come running to you.

Rejoice, Hieromartyr Seraphim, fiery champion of the Orthodox faith.

Kondak 13

Oh, Hieromartyr Seraphim, all-Russian lampstand and warrior of Christ, good-victorious, crowned with the crown of martyrdom from the Lord! Do not forget your flock and implore the Lord Christ in love for Orthodoxy to strengthen us, be strengthened in faith and be delivered from eternal torment, and with you we sing to Him: Alleluia.

This kontakion is said three times. And the 1st ikos and the 1st kontakion are read in packs.

Prayer

Oh, great and marvelous saint of Christ, Hieromartyr Seraphim!

Now accept our humble song of thanksgiving and implore the Almighty God in the Inseparable Trinity, the glorified One, to send us peace and prosperity, so that our power will be saved from ruin. With your love and wisdom, bring the people of Russia to the unity of the cathedral and protect from heresies and schisms. By the power of your intercession, patience in sorrows and illnesses has been sent down to us.

Oh, all-praise saint of Christ! Ask the All-merciful God to grant us repentance before the end, so that we may be able to see with you the faces of His indescribable kindness, singing the praises of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

Troparion, tone 8.

Having become like the wise virgins, the lamp of the soul and in all your life you kept unquenchable, and like a flame of fire, worthy of the name of love for Christ, you ascended to heavenly life, and according to your glorious assumption, before the face of your Lord, as a divinely luminous candle shine, a monk mentor, Reverend Seraphim, ask with love to those who honor you, the intelligent illumination of the Holy Trinity, peace and great mercy. Twice. Glory, and now.

Bogorodichen: For us, for the sake of being born of the Virgin, and having endured the Goodness, having refuted death by death, and the resurrection is like God, do not despise them by Your own hand, manifest Your merciful love for mankind, accept the Mother of God who gave birth to You, I pray for us, and save, our Savior, people who have sinned .

Canto 1

Irmos: I will open my mouth, and the Spirit will be filled;

In the light of heavenly soaring, father, wings, approaching God's face seraphim, show above earthly and dense wisdom, even praise those who dare.

You were an image in men, of truly angelic life, in the flesh of this, in heaven your spirit is named, from now on, beloved Christ, reign in your heart, accept it.

For many revelations and wonderful graces, Jesus' ulcers on the body of a humble burden, may this be transformed like the body of His glory, even with His death that punishes death.

Glory: Thou hast known love, the higher Father has given us, beloved for the sake of the Son, and the child of the Trinity has appeared unfalse, crucified for us with patience even to the end imitated thou, and enjoy the light of His Resurrection everlastingly.

And now: Even before the formation of the world, the heavenly Bridegroom was chosen as the Bride, and the angelic face sings with unceasing voices, Thy most pure image, Mary, Thy faithful servant love more than all visible, now face to face sees Thee clearly.

Canto 3

Irmos: Thy singers, the Theotokos, living and incorruptible source, confirm the face of Yourself spiritually together, and in the divine Thy glory, vouchsafe the crown of glory.

No one can have more sowing love, but whoever lays down his life for his friends, but you, Father, with all-night tearful flow, in all your life on earth, unceasingly lay down the soul for the salvation of people.

To devour the roaring lion the whole world, thou crushed his teeth, having established himself on the hard stone of Christ, for this sake the conqueror appeared, and now strengthen those who are prayerfully calling, against fierce passions.

Glory: We arm ourselves to God with your boldness, we courageously take up arms against those who persecute us without truth, Jesus’ name is always in our hearts, the Trinity sovereigns sing the thrice-holy song, the singing of our God.

And now: We will not be silent to glorify Your greatness, Mary the Most Pure, on Thee we place all our hope, as if Mati appeared to you, Even heaven and earth incomprehensible, the angel of the King and the man of the Savior.

Sedalen, tone 8.

From the beginning of your sacred life, worldly wisdom and perishable vanity, you have despised the hypostatic Wisdom of God, more than a flame of kindled love, you have desired, and the saved sacrament of the Cross, into your immaculate soul we perceive, we strengthen it with invincible power, be worthy of an equal-angelic life, and like another sun in thou hast shone in the world. For this sake, we sing of your deeds, our miraculous Father Seraphim, and by faith we cry out to you, pray to Christ God, grant forgiveness in sin to those who honor your most blessed memory.

Glory, and now. Bogorodichen: Many of Thy bounties, and unspeakable motherly Thy mercy, as long as I have been offended by negligence, I am alive in laziness, cursed, no less jealous, like Christ's disciple of life. And from the depths of the deadly passions that have befallen me, I cry out, stretch out a helping hand to me, the Lady, and with the prayer of Si, hedgehog to Your Son and God, save me, who is dying unreliably, You are the only imam help and hope, Your indispensable servant.

Canto 4

Irmos: Sitting in glory, on the throne of God, on a cloud of light, the Divine Jesus came, from the Most Pure Virgin, and crying out for salvation, glory to Christ, Your power.

Your mouth will show the source of life, wearing out the words of the holy Scriptures, telling God's desires. Now you have gone from the bonds of dead flesh, hear Wisdom's words inexpressible, and save your servants from the darkening of charms.

Always listening to God with your heart, the hedgehog His kingdom prepared for eternity, you saw with your spiritual eyes. For this sake, and from the evil inflicted on you, sorrow, and from the unpunished people of anger, you are like an arrow, a baby, I am imputed.

Glory: From infancy, you were revealed, as a vessel of the chosen ones, and working to old age to God, ascending from strength to strength, growing in wisdom and virtue, on the wickedness of the worldly evangelical infancy.

And now: The most pure and God-loving dove, shining golden interdorami more than the sun, Even your warm prayer book, shine with signs and miracles, shine in our hearts of God-reason and purity, and make communicants of the non-evening Light.

Canto 5

Irmos: Surprised by all about Your divine glory, You are more, marriage inexplicable Maiden, welcomed in the womb over all the existing God, and gave birth to a flightless Son, giving peace to all who sing about You.

About a wondrous miracle, more than the word and mind of the Most Pure Coming, even His beloved servant, from the bed of death, raise up, and the apostle and the martyrs face him, as a brother and neighbor friend, with joy of conversation.

Thou hast despised the honor and glory of this world, thou hast desired to acquire a peaceful spirit, for this sake the peace of God, who is above all mind, keeping thy heart and thy understanding, and thy good deeds, as a light shines in men.

Glory: From the kind of good, chosen by the providence of the Most High King, like a precious stone, lay on the crown of the Queen of Heaven, shining in it with amazing glory, healing the rays of aching souls.

And now: The Church of God, embellished, Even for the sake of an angel of the Incomprehensible, appeared on earth like a man, now set embarrassment for the churches, enlighten the souls of bewilderment, heal the wounds of conscience, bringing Your people into unanimity, even Your Son has acquired, with honest Blood.

Canto 6

Irmos: This is divine and all-honorable, making a feast, God-wisdom, Mother of God, come, let us clap our hands, glorifying Him who was born by faith.

Thou hast approached the intelligent officials, the forthcoming high throne, spiritual ascent, O father, kindled for the sake of Christ's love, worthy of the seraphim name.

Carrying Paul’s wounds, enduring struggles and striving, having imputed everything on earth, so that you gained Christ alone, you also ascended in spirit to heaven, and you saw God’s inexpressible kindness.

Having put on, as if chosen by God, holy and beloved, in mercy and goodness, meekness and humility, accepting your neighbor as Christ with love, truly become like your Master.

Glory: You only asked on the earth from God, to live in the fence of His saints, like a dove finding a nest, altars of the Lord of hosts, the King of heaven, in them in the voice of confession, offering an immaculate sacrifice of praise, rejoicing in spirit.

And now: You alone are our deliverance, Ever-clean, in You the bonds of the enemy are broken, and the captives are freed. Cast away the soul-destroying wolves from the flock of Your Son, by the power of the Cross and Your prayers, Mother of God Lady.

Kontakion, tone 8.

Russian land, at the eleventh hour, a brightly shining star, a warm prayer book for the world, and merciful consolation, light and joy of Christ to the hearts of your children, to grieving souls, let us cry out in song to you: Rejoice, Father Seraphim, holy angel interlocutor.

Ikos.

An angelic voice, even more pure to the Virgin, from infancy we diligently accept in our hearts, from the all-holy pre-beginning Fire, the lamp of our souls kindled thou, and with divine love we flare up, You placed the Cross of Christ on the frame, in fasts and vigils, imitating life without flesh, a vessel of your flesh Thou hast made the habitation of the Spirit of God. For the sake of the appearance of the Heavenly Lady, having been honored, by the gift of miracles in many ways from Ney, you were enriched. And now you stand rejoicing at the Holy Trinity, and you see Her inexpressible light, and together with the angelic faces, and with the ranks of the saints, proclaim the three holy singing, and pray unceasingly to God for the Christ-named people. In the same way, do not despise our humble prayers, but accept, and, like fragrant incense, lift up, to the inconceivable mountain throne, all the Lord and our Lord. Yes, faithfully honoring thee children, in praise we lightly sing the song rejoicing in God: Rejoice, Father Seraphim, the holy angel of conversation.

Canto 7

Irmos: Do not serve the creature, God-wisdom more than the Builder, but the fiery rebuke is masculinely correct, rejoicing in singing, revered by the Father, the Lord and God, blessed be Thou.

Bring gifts to your Tsar, pure faith like gold, imperishable hope like myrrh, like the Lebanon you kindled, bringing love to heaven south. The church appeared to you animated, and the offering is peaceful, the priest is reverend, and the sacrifice is pleasing to God.

You acquired the name of a disciple from the font, even the Word of God of the beloved confidant, and following this word, you were enriched with wisdom, as if you believe your soul for your neighbor, if there is love of the cross and perfect.

Glory: As if from a thief, you patiently lifted up the wounds, as if praying for the cruelty of those who torment you, help me, even with demonic attachments, I will even be broken to despair, save my soul, with many adversities of the enemy, I will be cast down from the paths of the saints.

And now: Light from the Light, Even before the age of the ascension, and in the last summer came to the earth, settled in Your most pure womb, inextinguishable Thee, the Mother of God, the light of the show, like all worldly ends, enlightening with true God-reason.

Canto 8

Irmos: The youths of the pious in the cave, the Nativity of the Theotokos saved to eat. Then it is formed, now it is acted, lift up the whole universe to sing, praise the Lord's deeds, and exalt Him forever.

You appeared in thorny times, like a beautiful krin, the peace of Christ was fragrant to the troubled hearts. So also on the body of the church painful wounds, heal with the peace of brotherly love, but with one mouth and one heart, we sing Christ our God, and we exalt forever.

Eliko in the darkness of passions, and the canopy of death sitting, even seeing the light of the animal in no way, and about these hands up to heaven, a fire-inspired prayer book, even from above with a flame of dead souls, and creating companions to God forever.

Glory: With the rays of your virtues, melt the ice of insensibility in the souls, melt the river aspirations of your miracles, rejoice the Church of God, and drown the infidelity and heresies of the ferocious waves, but we sing and exalt Christ God forever.

And now: Thou art one, Mary, in the daughters of earthly vices not having, as if with golden cassocks, graced by heavenly grace, for the sake of those who glorify Thee, the Mother of God, create immortal joys of partakers, but in the generations of generations we sing Your name, and exalt forever.

Canto 9

Irmos: Rejoice, O Queen, glory to mothers and virgins, for every kindly, well-spoken, wise mouth cannot sing to You with dignity, but every mind is perplexed to understand Your Nativity. We glorify Thee according to the same.

Let us not be afraid, brethren, as if the nations were troubled, the sovereign kingdom deviated, the earth shook from the voices of many waters, but we will be established in the hope of the imperishable kingdom, you will follow, father, who unfalterably love you.

Singing with an angelic rank, with the faces of the saints now, Father, according to sing, holy, holy, holy art thou, Trinity one-man, immovable kingdom forever, and power invincible, like Orthodox believers in Thee.

Saint Seraphim (in the world Leonid Mikhailovich Chichagov) was born on January 9, 1856 in St. Petersburg, into the family of artillery colonel Mikhail Nikiforovich Chichagov and his wife Maria Nikolaevna. The family of the future saint belonged to one of the most famous noble families of the Kostroma province, which contributed many remarkable pages to the annals of Russian history. The galaxy of outstanding ancestors of St. Seraphim included the brilliant nobleman of Catherine, the famous navigator Admiral V. Ya. Chichagov (1726 - 1809), who devoted his life to the exploration of the Arctic Ocean, and the Russian Minister of Marine Admiral P. V. Chichagov (1765 - 1849 BC), who became one of the most famous military and statesmen of the Alexander era. Due to the fact that the father of the future hierarch, Colonel M.N. Alexander Nevsky at the Mikhailovsky Artillery School. The fact that the place of entry of the future Saint Seraphim into church life was a temple that belonged to the military department turned out to be very symbolic for the whole future life of the saint. Indeed, like his ancestors, St. Seraphim began his service to God as a service to the Tsar and the Fatherland on the battlefield, and it was this service of a warrior that became for him, as well as for his ancestors, the first experience of selfless service to God in the world. Following the blessing of his family, the lad Leonid, after several years of study at the First St. Petersburg Military Gymnasium, entered the Corps of Pages of His Imperial Majesty in 1870 and was enrolled on June 28 of the same year as pages to the Imperial Court.

Lieutenant Colonel Chichagov Leonid Mikhailovich, mid-1880s.

Years of stay in the Corps of Pages allowed Leonid Chichagov not only to receive a fundamental military and general education, but also to get to know the court high society with all its often illusory virtues and vices often covered with secular splendor. Despite the fact that on December 25, 1874, Leonid Chichagov was promoted to chamber-page, not the court, but military service with its inherent harsh, but full of sincerity and masculinity, way of life was the subject of dreams of the 18-year-old chamber-page. After many years, Saint Seraphim said: “The Corps of Pages is indebted to its mentors for its traditions, which have become established in it. We were brought up in faith and Orthodoxy, but if we left the corps insufficiently imbued with churchliness, we understood well that Orthodoxy is the strength, strength and treasure of our beloved homeland.”

On August 4, 1875, after graduating from the senior special class of the Corps of Pages, on August 4, 1875, Leonid Chichagov was promoted to second lieutenant by examination and in September of the same year he was sent to serve in His Majesty's First Battery of the Guards Horse Artillery Brigade.

The Russian-Turkish war, which began in 1876 and was accompanied by pan-Slavic patriotic enthusiasm, already in the summer of 1876 brought Lieutenant L. M. Chichagov of the Guards into the army in the Balkans and at the same time became a serious life test for the future saint. Being a participant in almost all the main events of this bloody war, L.M. Chichagov, who was made on the battlefield in the guard lieutenant and marked with several military awards, repeatedly (as, for example, was the case when crossing the Balkans and in the battle of Philippopolis) showed high personal heroism . However, not the heroism of the war and not even the mission of the Russian army, which liberated the Orthodox Slavic peoples from Turkish rule, the description of which was subsequently devoted to the “Diary of the Tsar-Liberator’s Stay in the Danube Army in 1877” and a number of other remarkable historical and literary works of the future saint, became the main topics of reflection of the young officer during this period. The theme of the spiritual meaning of life and death, deeply felt for the first time by the youth Leonid after the untimely death of his father and put before him in all sharpness by the war, the theme of the moral meaning of suffering and selflessness, revealed to him in the exploits of Russian soldiers who believed their souls for Slavic brothers, finally , the theme of active love for his brothers in Christ, whom he taught to distinguish both under officer uniforms and under soldier's overcoats, after the war became the most important motivating principles for deep religious reflections of the future saint.

Divine Providence, which saved Lieutenant L. M. Chichagov from death and injury on the battlefield, led him soon after returning to St. Petersburg in 1878 to a meeting with the great pastor of the Russian Orthodox Church, St. Righteous John of Kronstadt, who resolved many spiritual issues of the young officer and became for all subsequent years an indisputable spiritual authority for the future saint, who from that time made many of his most important life decisions only with the blessing of St. Righteous John of Kronstadt.

An important event that marked the further spiritual development of the 23-year-old L. M. Chichagov was his marriage on April 8, 1879 to the daughter of the chamberlain of the Court of His Imperial Majesty Natalia Nikolaevna Dokhturova. From the very beginning, this brilliant marriage, which gave birth to representatives of two well-known aristocratic families (Natalia Nikolaevna was the great-niece of the hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, General D. S. Dokhturov), turned out to be very different from many high society marriages. Bearing in mind that Christian marriage is, first of all, a small Church, in which it is not pleasing each other, and even more so the prejudices of the big world, but pleasing God is the basis of family happiness, L. M. Chichagov managed to bring into the way of his young family the beginnings of the traditional Orthodox piety. It was these principles that formed the basis for the upbringing of four daughters, Vera, Natalia, Leonida and Ekaterina, who were born in the Chichagov family. The military career of L. M. Chichagov continued to develop successfully in peacetime. Having received in April 1881 the promotion to the rank of guard captain, L. M. Chichagov, as a recognized specialist in artillery, was sent to the maneuvers of the French army, where he was presented for awarding the highest order of the French Republic with the Cavalry Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honor. Having returned to Russia and published the military-theoretical work “French Artillery in 1882”, which was important for the rearmament of the Russian army at that time, Staff Captain L. M. Chichagov could count on further promotion through the steps of the military hierarchy, especially since by this time he was awarded 10 Russian and foreign orders. However, the desire to turn all the forces of his gifted personality to the service of God and neighbors outside the sphere of military service more and more manifested itself in the life of L. M. Chichagov during this period of time. Being an aristocratically integral and Christian sacrificial nature, L. M. Chichagov strove to carry out this ministry in concrete deeds addressed directly to God and neighbors. On October 31, 1881, assuming the duties of the patron of the Sergius Cathedral of the entire Artillery Cathedral in the village of Klemenyev at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Staff Captain L.M. activities in this large military parish, in whose care were thousands of Russian soldiers.

Having learned in the war to deeply empathize with the physical suffering of wounded soldiers, L. M. Chichagov set himself the task of mastering medical knowledge in order to help his fellow men. Subsequently, a significant result of many years of medical experiments by L. M. Chichagov was the system he developed and tested in practice for treating the body with herbal medicines, the presentation of which took two volumes of the fundamental work “Medical Conversations”.

At the same time, systematic theological studies entered the life of L. M. Chichagov, as a result of which an officer who had not even received a seminary education would turn into an encyclopedically educated theologian, whose authority would eventually be recognized by the entire Russian Orthodox Church. The providence of God steadily led L. M. Chichagov to the decision prepared by all his previous development to accept the priesthood, having carried out which, he received the opportunity not only to fully fulfill the will of God, revealed to him then still secretly, but also to realize for the benefit of the Church the many-sided abilities of his extraordinary personality.

But it was on the eve of this providentially predetermined decision that L. M. Chichagov had to experience one of the most serious temptations in his life. His beloved wife Natalia Nikolaevna opposed her husband's decision to leave military service and devote herself entirely to serving God as a clergyman. The reasons that prompted this very pious woman to oppose the good will of her husband were rooted both in the entire spiritual structure of the high Petersburg society surrounding her, and in the very difficult everyday situation in which the Chichagov family was at that time. Brought up by her husband in the conviction to always strictly follow the fulfillment of her duty to the family, N. N. Chichagova at some point contrasted this duty to the family, which she understood too humanly, with the Providence of God about the calling of her husband.

Blessing L. M. Chichagov for the adoption of the holy dignity of St. Righteous John of Kronstadt, understanding the full complexity of the coming life change for the Chichagov family and very well representing the full burden of the mother’s burden of any true shepherd, considered it necessary in a personal conversation with N. N. Chichagova to convince her not to oppose the will of God and to agree to the adoption of the priesthood by her husband . The words of the wise Kronstadt shepherd and the blessing given to her to become a mother, as well as fidelity to her future priestly calling and her husband’s deep love for her, helped N. N. Chichagova overcome her doubts, and she agreed to share the burden of his new ministry with her husband.

On April 15, 1890, by the highest order, L. M. Chichagov was dismissed with the rank of captain of the guard and less than a year later, already in retirement, for the years of his past impeccable service and "for comparison with peers" was promoted to colonel. For L. M. Chichagov, the path to the priesthood became not only the path of ascent to God, but also the path of going to the people, in which, unlike the godless intellectuals of his time, as a pastor, and then as an archpastor, he had to educate not a rebel and an atheist, but faithful son of his Sovereign and his Church.

After his retirement, the family of L. M. Chichagov moved to Moscow in 1891, and during the synodal period it remained the Orthodox capital of Russia. It was here, under the shadow of the Moscow shrines, that L. M. Chichagov began to reverently prepare for taking the priesthood. The one-and-a-half-year period of inspired prayerful reflections and languid everyday expectations was destined to end on February 26, 1893, when L. M. Chichagov was ordained a deacon in the Moscow Synodal Church of the Twelve Apostles. The presbyter's ordination followed 2 days later on February 28 in the same church with a significant gathering of worshipers, among whom the rumor quickly spread about the unusual fate of this protege.

How difficult psychologically and morally it was for the family of L. M. Chichagov to break with their native military-aristocratic environment, just as difficult was the entry of the newly appointed priest Leonid Chichagov into the unfamiliar life and customs of the Russian clergy. Assigned by Metropolitan Sergius of Moscow to the Church of the Twelve Apostles, the 37-year-old priest Leonid Chichagov, instead of gradually entering the very difficult path of serving as a parish shepherd, which attracted all his thoughts, had to take on the burden of duties as a ktitor and benefactor of the church, which had not existed for many years, because it housed the Synodal sacristy, and in which Father Leonid nevertheless had to begin his parish ministry. Having achieved the transfer of the sacristy of their church of St. Philip the Apostle in the premises of the Peace Chamber and having carried out a thorough repair in this temple, Father Leonid was able to begin his ministry there only in November 1893. rubles, he was forced to spend on his personal, by that time very limited, material resources, tearing them away from his family, who already had great difficulty putting up with the changes that had taken place in the life of his spouse and parent.

The first, very modest for his age, award received by Father Leonid already in the field of priestly service - the laying on him of a cuisse and a skufia - was given precisely "for diligent care of decorating the side church in the name of the Apostle Philip, which is under the Synodal Church of 12 apostles in the Kremlin" .

Priest Seraphim (Chichagov), photo, 1894

The trials of Father Leonid's first year of priestly service were exacerbated by the unexpected serious illness of his wife, Matushka Natalya, which led her to her untimely death in 1895, depriving her mother of four daughters, the eldest of whom was 15 and the youngest 9 years old. Father Leonid brought the body of the deceased wife to Diveevo and buried it at the monastery cemetery. Soon a chapel was erected over the grave, and next to the burial place of mother Natalia, Father Leonid prepared a place for his own burial, which, however, was never destined to receive the relics of the future holy martyr.

On February 14, 1896, priest Leonid Chichagov, by order of the Protopresbyter of the military and naval clergy, was "assigned to the church in Moscow for private institutions and institutions of the Artillery of the Moscow Military District." This decree of the hierarchy assumed not only the sending of a former artillery officer as a military priest to the environment of artillerymen of the Moscow Military District, which he knew well, but also the burden of material costs for the reconstruction of the closed church, in which he were to serve. Church of St. Nicholas on Stary Vagankovo, to which Father Leonid was appointed, belonged to the Rumyantsev Museum and has been closed for more than 30 years. Taking upon himself the work of restoring this temple, Father Leonid was aware that the military artillery officers, who were his main flock, due to their limited financial capabilities, would not be able to fully pay for the restoration work with their donations. Therefore, as in the case of the restoration of the church of St. Philip the Apostle, the donations of Fr. Leonid should have been a significant part of the funds needed to equip the church of St. Nicholas.

Again, instead of contemplative liturgical prayer and inspired pastoral and educational activities, Father Leonid had to plunge into the whirlpool of petty household chores that are inevitable when restoring a church without significant help and support. By humbly fulfilling the parish obediences entrusted to him, which allowed him to fully recognize the hard lot of the Russian parish clergy, who often carried out their service with the indifferent attitude of not only the flock, but also the hierarchy, Father Leonid for the rest of his life acquired such an important for his future archpastoral ministry, the ability to live with the problems of the parish clergy and combine strict episcopal exactingness towards them with a sensitive attitude to the needs of their parish priests and their families. It is highly significant that later, already in his word at the time of his nomination as a bishop, Saint Seraphim, speaking of his forthcoming hierarchal service, found it necessary to emphasize that the heart of a bishop should be close to “needs, family burdens ... of the rural clergy ... and countless sorrows junior members of the clergy whom the bishops are obliged to relieve."

What did Father Leonid consider as the basis of his spiritual life during these first five years of priestly service filled with pastoral difficulties hitherto unknown to him? Father Leonid spoke very expressively about the mindset that prevailed in his soul at that time in one of the sermons he delivered at that time in the parish church. “In ancient times, people preferred prayer to everything, and when they met, the holy fathers always asked each other about how prayer goes or works? The effect of prayer was a sign of spiritual life for them... Indeed, prayer is the mother and head of all virtues, for it borrows them from the source of all blessings - God, with whom the one who prays is in communion... Only prayer can reach Almighty God, for it there is a way to Him."

This deliberate focus on the life of prayer inevitably attracted Father Leonid to the walls of the monastery, especially since for several years Father Leonid considered the compilation of the “Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery” to be one of the most important obediences in his life, which revealed to him not only the history of one of the most remarkable monastic cloisters of the Russian Orthodox Church, but also the monastic deeds of one of the greatest ascetics of Holy Russia - St. Seraphim of Sarov. The birth of the idea of ​​compiling this chronicle, which was of decisive importance for the entire future life of the future archpastor and marked from the very beginning by the miraculous manifestations of God's Providence about this work, Father Leonid described as follows. “When, after a rather long state service, I became a priest in a small church behind the Rumyantsev Museum, I wanted to go to the Sarov Hermitage, the place of the exploits of the Monk Seraphim, then not yet glorified, and when summer came, I went there. The Sarov desert made a strong impression on me. I spent several days there in prayer and visited all the places where St. Seraphim labored. From there I moved to the Diveevo Monastery, where I really liked it and much reminded me of St. Seraphim, who cared so much for the Diveevo sisters. The abbess received me very cordially, talked to me a lot and, among other things, said that there were three persons living in the monastery who remembered the monk: two old nuns and the nun Pelagia (in the world of Paraskeva, Pasha) ... I was taken to the house, Where did Pasha live? As soon as I entered her, Pasha, who was lying in bed (she was very old and sick), exclaimed: “It’s good that you came, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time: the Monk Seraphim ordered you to tell you to report to the Sovereign that the time has come the discovery of his relics, glorification. I answered Pasha that, due to my social position, I could not be accepted by the Sovereign and convey to him what she entrusted me ... To this, Pasha said: “I don’t know anything, I only conveyed what the reverend commanded me.” In embarrassment, I left the old woman's cell. After her I went to two nuns who remembered the monk. They lived together and took care of each other. One was blind, and the other was all twisted and could hardly move around the room ... the blind nun constantly prayed for the dead, while their souls appeared to her, and she saw them with spiritual eyes. She had something to say about the Reverend. Before leaving for Sarov, I visited Fr. John of Kronstadt, who, handing me five rubles, said: “They sent me five rubles and asked me to pray in private for a suicide: maybe you will meet some needy priest who would agree to pray for the unfortunate.” Arriving at the nuns, I read a note in front of the blind man, in which I invested five rubles given to me by Fr. John. In addition, I gave the name of my late mother and asked to pray for her. In response, I heard: "Come for an answer in three days." When I arrived at the appointed time, I received the answer: “I had your mother, she is so small, small, and an angel came with her.” I remembered that my younger sister had passed away at the age of three. “And here is another person for whom I prayed, he is so huge, but he is afraid of me, he keeps running away. Oh, look, is he suicidal? I had to confess that he really was a suicide and tell about the conversation with Fr. John. Soon I left the Diveevsky Monastery and, returning to Moscow, involuntarily pondered the words of Pasha ... and suddenly one day I was pierced by the thought that it was possible to write down everything that the nuns who remembered him told about St. about him, get acquainted with the archives of the Sarov Hermitage and the Diveevsky Monastery and borrow from there everything that relates to the life of the monk and the period following his death. Bring all this material into a system and chronological order, then print this work, based not only on memoirs, but also on factual data and documents that give a complete picture of the life and exploits of the Monk Seraphim and his significance for the religious life of the people, print and present to the Emperor than and the will of the reverend, transmitted to me in a categorical form by Pasha, will be fulfilled. This decision was further supported by the consideration that the royal family, gathering for evening tea, read aloud books of theological content, and I hoped that my book would be read. Thus, the idea of ​​the Chronicle was born. In order to carry it out, I soon took a vacation and again went to Diveevo. There I was given the archive of the monastery, just as in the Sarov Hermitage. But first of all, I went to Pasha and began to question her about all the known episodes in the life of the monk, carefully wrote down everything that she passed on to me, and then read the notes to her. She found everything written down to be correct... At that time, the abbess of the Diveevsky monastery went to Nizhny Novgorod to the fair to buy a year's supply of fish for the monastery, and when I wished to visit Pasha in her absence, I found her completely sick and terribly weak. I decided her days were numbered. So, I thought, she fulfilled the will of the monk and now she is dying. I hastened to convey my impression to the treasurer's mother, but she replied: "Don't worry, father, without the blessing of mother abbess Pasha will not die." A week later, the abbess arrived from the fair, and I immediately went to report my fears about Praskovia ... Two days later we went together to Pasha. She was delighted to see the abbess. They remembered the old, cried, hugged and kissed. Finally, the abbess stood up and said: "Well, Pasha, now I bless you to die." Three hours later I served the first memorial service for Paraskeva. Returning to Moscow with the collected material about the Monk Seraphim, I immediately began my work.

The spring of 1898 was the time when Father Leonid made the final decision about his future fate. Leaving his 4 daughters, who had already grown up after the death of their mother, in the care of several trusted persons who were called upon to monitor their further education and upbringing, on April 30, 1898, Father Leonid received his resignation from the Presbyter of the military and naval clergy and in the summer of that year was enrolled in the number of the brethren of the Holy Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Of particular importance for the newly tonsured hieromonk was the naming of him at the vows in the mantle on August 14, 1898, the name "Seraphim".

Daughters of Metropolitan Seraphim: Vera, Leonida, Ekaterina, Natalia. Early 1900s

The final departure from the world beyond the monastery fence did not become for Hieromonk Seraphim a departure from worldly trials, which, by the permission of God, fell upon him from the monastic brethren. The blessed joy that miraculously accompanied the adoption of monastic rank by Hieromonk Seraphim was overshadowed by envy and slander on the part of those who should have become fellow worshipers of the newly tonsured hieromonk. During this difficult time for Hieromonk Seraphim, when he repeatedly turned his prayers to the Monk Seraphim of Sarov, the great ascetic provided the spiritual support that Father Seraphim needed so much through one of his famous spiritual daughters, Natalia Petrovna Kireevskaya. Being the widow of the remarkable Russian Orthodox philosopher Ivan Vasilyevich Kireevsky, who had once been returned by her with the blessing of St. Seraphim to the bosom of the Orthodox Church, N. P. Kireevskaya used all her significant authority in the highest church circles to ensure that Father Seraphim, who experienced envy and slander, was given archpastoral consolation and hierarchical intercession by the highest church hierarchy. In her letter dated November 29, 1898, to Archbishop Flavian (Gorodetsky) of Kharkov, N.P. Kireevskaya gave the highest spiritual assessment of the personality of Father Seraphim and asked Vladyka for help to the persecuted hieromonk. Now, Vladyka, I turn to you with my last request,” wrote N. P. Kireevskaya. - Just as at the beginning of your monastic life the Lord helped me to serve you, and our ever-memorable Hierarch Metropolitan Philaret extended his paternal mercy and patronage to you, so now I beg you, Vladyka, to take under your patronage and in your paternal care my beloved Father Seraphim in the Lord (in the world of Leonid Mikhailovich Chichagov), who suffered a lot from human malice, he endures all the slander raised against him with truly Christian humility, I have known him for many years and testify to you with my conscience that he is a true Christian and a person quite worthy ... Dying, Vladyko, I entrust Fr. Seraphim of your paternal love and protection.

In 1899, a change took place in the fate of Hieromonk Seraphim, who, even in this difficult time for him, enriched church literature with the remarkable chronicle essay “Zosimov Hermitage in the Name of the Smolensk Mother of God,” a change took place. On August 14, 1899, by decree of the Holy Synod, he was appointed rector of the Suzdal Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery, with subsequent elevation to the rank of archimandrite. The abbot at the Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery was another glorious and at the same time full of great life difficulties page of St. Seraphim's church service. Having demonstrated the firmness of a church administrator, the practicality of a zealous host, and the fatherly love of a true pastor, Archimandrite Seraphim, during his 5 years as abbess, managed to transform both the economic and spiritual life of the once majestic, but by the time of the appointment of Father Seraphim, a monastery that had fallen into deep decline. In one of his letters, Archimandrite Seraphim presented a very expressive description of his activities in the Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery. “My real monastery, the ancient Lavra, deprived of a millionth fortune, without any means, forgotten and abandoned, but first-class, was a huge ruined space with a fence of 1.5 miles and with 13 falling towers. The famous and terrible fortress, now called a spiritual prison, turned out to have not been overhauled for about 100 years and accommodated unfortunate, mentally disturbed clergymen, hungry and cold, partly innocently imprisoned and waiting for such a rector who, by his development, could cause the consideration of their cases. Less than 2.5 years of my abbotship had passed, and the monastery was completely revived, I collected up to 100 thousand for repairs, begged V. Sabler to give 6 thousand for the restoration of the prison, and now the Euthymius Monastery has been revived, the prison has turned into a skete, and the innocent are all set free. Thanks be to the Lord, I fulfilled my assignment.”

Through the pastoral efforts of Archimandrite Seraphim, who interceded before the Holy Synod, not only innocent prisoners were released, but also about 20 sectarians, of which 9 returned to the bosom of the Orthodox Church.

Archimandrite Seraphim found the time and strength not only to successfully carry out his pastoral service, but also to continue the preparation for the canonization of the great ascetic of the Russian Land, St. Seraphim of Sarov, which had become one of the main deeds of his life. In 1902, through the efforts of Archimandrite Seraphim, the Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery, first published in 1896, was republished. This second edition of the Chronicle was of particular importance for the canonization of St. Seraphim of Sarov, revealing to all of Russia the greatness of the blessed gifts of the Reverend, miraculously resonating in the lives of his many spiritual children. The "Chronicle" reverently immortalized all the spiritually significant events that occurred in the period from 1705 to 1895. in the monasteries of Sarov and Diveev, presented the first comprehensive biography of St. Seraphim of Sarov, captured the life paths and testimonies of the Reverend of such of his associates and spiritual children as Archpriest Vasily Sadovsky, M. V. Manturov, N. A. Motovilov, blessed Pelageya Ivanovna Serebrennikova.

And at this time, the ministry of Archimandrite Seraphim did not remain without the support of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov, who again miraculously testified to him of his heavenly patronage. Subsequently, St. Seraphim told his spiritual child Archpriest Stefan Lyashevsky about the miraculous vision revealed to him precisely in 1902. about Saint Seraphim. At that moment, the Monk Seraphim entered the cell, and I saw him as if alive. I never thought for a moment that this was a vision - everything was so simple and real. But what was my surprise when Father Seraphim bowed to my waist and said: “Thank you for the chronicle. Ask me whatever you want for her." With these words, he came close to me and put his hand on my shoulder. I clung to him and said: “Father, dear, I am so happy now that I don’t want anything else but to always be near you.” Father Seraphim smiled in agreement and became invisible. Only then did I realize that it was a vision. My joy knew no end."

Constantly feeling the spiritual support of the Monk, Archimandrite Seraphim decided to take what seemed to some of his brothers in the clergy an audacious step in order to finally raise the question of the canonization of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov in the Holy Synod. Realizing that not only the almighty chief prosecutor of the Synod. P. Pobedonostsev, but also some bishops were categorically opposed to the canonization of the Reverend, Archimandrite Seraphim decided to ask the Holy Synod to raise the issue of canonization directly to the Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II, who, in accordance with the Basic Laws of the Russian Empire, was “the supreme protector and guardian of the dogmas of the dominant faith ". Knowledge of the highest St. Petersburg world, personal acquaintance with the Emperor allowed Archimandrite Seraphim to achieve an audience, and the piety of the Sovereign, the deep impression that the “Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery” made on him, led to the fact that. P. Pobedonostsev, who was soon summoned to an appointment with the Sovereign, was informed of the need to immediately raise the question of organizing the opening of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov at a meeting of the Holy Synod.

The sincere participation of the Sovereign in the case presented to him by Archimandrite Seraphim not only saved the future saint from the punishments that the Chief Procurator would not fail to inflict on him, but also forced the latter not to interfere with the Holy Synod in studying the question of the canonization of St. Seraphim. Nevertheless, the authority of P. Pobedonostsev for the members of the Synod was so indisputable that only Metropolitan Anthony (Vadkovsky) of St. Petersburg decided to support the idea of ​​opening the relics of the Reverend. And yet, at the insistence of the Sovereign, in August 1902, a commission headed by the future Hieromartyr Metropolitan Vladimir (Bogoyavlensky) of Moscow, which included Archimandrite Seraphim, carried out a preliminary examination of the relics of St. Seraphim. On November 29, 1902, in pursuance of the Highest Command, which placed on Archimandrite Seraphim "the management of all preparatory measures for the construction of premises for the shelter of that mass of pilgrims who, in all likelihood, will flood to the place of glorification of Father Seraphim", he had to take on most of the organizational economic activities related to the canonization of the Reverend.

On January 29, 1903, an event occurred that at that time was awaited with impatience and hope not only by Archimandrite Seraphim and other participants in the solemn opening of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, but also by many faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church, who had already been honored to join in the prayerful veneration of the Monk, accompanied by numerous miracles. The Holy Synod adopted the act, on the basis of which the Sarov elder Seraphim was ranked among the saints of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Having taken an active part in various solemn events in connection with the canonization of St. Seraphim of Sarov on July 17-19, 1903 in Sarov, Archimandrite Seraphim made his final contribution to his glorification somewhat later, composing a wonderful akathist to the Monk, which enriched the Russian tradition of church hymnography. Thus ended one of the most significant deeds for Archimandrite Seraphim of his church service, in which the great ascetic and miracle worker of the Russian Church, the Monk Seraphim of Sarov, was glorified largely thanks to the prayerful and pastoral labors of the future hierarch of the Russian Church, Hieromartyr Seraphim.

In 1903, in connection with the forthcoming 500th anniversary of the death of the Heavenly Patron of the monastic monastery where Archimandrite Seraphim, Reverend Euthymius of Suzdal was rector, Father Seraphim happened to compose his life.

The clergy highly appreciated the merits of Archimandrite Seraphim both as rector of the Spaso-Evfimiev monastery revived by him, and as a remarkable hagiographer of ascetics of monastic piety, and on February 14, 1904, Archimandrite Seraphim was appointed rector of one of the seven stauropegial monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church - the Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery. After spending only a year in the Resurrection Monastery, Archimandrite Seraphim sealed his abbess with the restoration of the famous Resurrection Cathedral.

However, by the Providence of God, Father Seraphim was prepared for a new church service, perhaps the most difficult for the clergy of the Russian Church in the time that came at that time and marked its beginning with an abundance of spiritual and historical troubles of the 20th century. On April 28, 1905, in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, the future Hieromartyr Metropolitan Vladimir (Bogoyavlensky) of Moscow, concelebrated by Bishops Trifon (Turkestanov) and Seraphim (Golubyatnikov), was consecrated another future Hieromartyr, Archimandrite Seraphim, to the position of Bishop of Sukhum. The day before, during the naming of a bishop, which took place in the Chamber of Peace, the building of which was associated with the first years of the pastoral service of Father Seraphim, the future saint uttered a word that contained a humanly sincerely felt and Christianly deeply meaningful description of his entire previous life path and at the same time, containing an almost prophetic insight about the meaning of his future episcopal ministry and the inevitability of his martyr's crown. “Unsearchable are the ways of God’s Providence” (Rom. 11:33), which predetermine the paths of man, said St. Seraphim. - ... Although I never forgot to prayerfully stretch out my hands to God in the hope of His mercy and forgiveness, could I imagine that my initial secular path, which seemed natural and quite consistent with my birth and upbringing, lasted so long and with such success, not the one that God intended for me? And how was I to be sure of this? Undoubtedly, through trials and tribulations. Having experienced orphanhood and helplessness from the age of eight, and convinced of the need to pave my way through my own work and many years of study, after graduating from my education, in my youth, I went through all the horrors of wartime, the exploits of self-denial, but kept alive by the wondrous Providence of God, continued my original path, undergoing numerous and varied trials, sorrows and upheavals, which ended in family misfortune - widowhood. Enduring so many sorrows, I am fully convinced that this world, which is so difficult to stop loving, becomes our enemy through them, and that a special thorny path is predetermined for me in my life ... Despite all the obstacles the world put me in, I fulfilled the holy obedience and first accepted the priesthood, and after widowhood - monasticism. For a long time I endured condemnation for these important steps in life and kept in the depths of my mournful heart the true reason for them. But, finally, the Lord Himself justified my monasticism in my immediate participation in the glorification of the great wonderworker St. Seraphim. Now, by the all-good will of God, I am called to a high service in the Church of Christ in the rank of bishop... The duties of a bishop and the sorrows associated with this rank are not unknown to me. Did not Jesus Christ, in the person of His Apostles, first of all say to the bishops: In the world you will be sorrowful, as if you are carrying from the world, but I have chosen you from the world, for this reason the world hates you? (John 16, 33) ... in our difficult and crafty days, the voice of the saints is drowned out by the voices and cries of the leaders of various sects, preachers of countless faiths, denials and new paths, and lately supporters of madness unparalleled in history, Christianity without Christ and philanthropy without the name of God. The modern spirit, hostile to the Church and the state, religion and morality, is so strong that the bishops are doomed to a relentless, many-sided struggle. Who is not horrified by the modern desire of an educated society to make the Orthodox Russian people indifferent to faith and eternal life and, thus, to impose on them a yoke worse than the Tatar one, which, as you know, hampered our faith, but did not destroy it? As then Russia was delivered from this heavy yoke by the prayers and deeds of the saints and saints, so I believe that even now no one else can save her from great sorrow, except for those appointed to pasture the Church of the Lord and God and obliged to speak, exhort and denounce with all authority. .

Archbishop Seraphim (Chichagov), photo, 1912

Already the first place of episcopal service of the Sukhumi Saint Seraphim, the ancient Orthodox Iberian land, became for him a place of trials in connection with the events that occurred as a result of the revolutionary turmoil that broke out in Russia. From that time until the end of his days, the hierarchical service for Saint Seraphim turned out to be inextricably linked with the courageous stand for the purity of the Orthodox faith and the unity of the Russian Church, which the Hieromartyr Seraphim, being the successor of the military glory of his valiant ancestors, already carried out as a soldier of Christ on the field of spiritual battle .

On February 6, 1906, Saint Seraphim was sent to the Oryol cathedra, where he was to prove himself as a zealous organizer of diocesan life. By the time St. Seraphim arrived in Oryol, the state of affairs in the field of diocesan administration and spiritual education in this diocese required a significant improvement. In one of his letters, written shortly after his arrival in the Oryol diocese, Saint Seraphim gave the following very eloquent description of the problems he had to face in his new place of service: Kirion and his suspicious tactics that soon 2 months, working day and night, I can not cope with confused consequences, countless henchmen, and so on. I don't finish with papers before 3-4 o'clock in the morning every day. I serve 3-4 times a week on weekdays, just to let go of proteges... I heard that the Oryol diocese is one of the most difficult and unsettled, but I did not imagine that the central Russian diocese could be in such neglect and disorder in all respects.. But I would very much like to stay here for a long time and achieve the reorganization of the diocese. It is necessary to put the Russian province in order. It hurts to see this... For the first time I come into contact with the Seminary... They have no idea about education, pedagogy and influence on youth. There is no power, no directness, no independence in the bosses. Youth can never respect weakness, hypocrisy, secrecy and spinelessness.

It was at the Oryol cathedra that Saint Seraphim came to the conviction, which became decisive for all his further archpastoral activity, that the full-blooded development of diocesan life is possible only on the basis of active parish communities. Subsequently, the saint formulated this conviction as follows: “The spiritual ... revival of Russia is possible only in the way in which its spiritual birth took place. Namely: it is necessary to return to the church and social life of the Old Russian parish, so that the parish community is unanimously engaged not only in education, charity, missionary work, but also in the morality of its members, restoring the rights of elders over younger ones, parents over children, educating and guiding the younger generation.

Already in 1906, implementing the Decree of the Holy Synod of November 18, 1905 on the organization and revival of parish life, Saint Seraphim organized parish councils in the churches of his diocese, whose duties, along with providing conditions for the normal development of pastoral-liturgical and administrative -the economic life of the parishes should have included the resolution of the entire set of spiritual and educational and social and charitable tasks facing the parishes, and above all, the creation of hospitals, libraries, schools and other educational institutions. The consequences of this vigorous activity of St. Seraphim were not slow to manifest themselves in the life of the diocese entrusted to him under the archpastoral care, and soon after his appointment to the Oryol cathedra, in one of his letters he noted with satisfaction: “From February 1, from the day of my arrival in Orel, I Haven't had a good night's sleep yet. I sound the alarm, striving for the speedy revival of parish life. I conduct conversations with the world and the clergy in the cities and in the halls of the Duma. The consequences are wonderful. It is difficult to raise the clergy, but the world will help if the bishops will sacrifice themselves.”

That sacrifice of bishops, about which St. Seraphim wrote, was characteristic primarily of himself, therefore his activity both among the Oryol diocesan clergy and among the entire Russian episcopate met with increasing recognition and respect. Evidence of the ever-increasing authority of St. Seraphim as a diocesan bishop was his appointment in 1907 as a member of the Holy Synod present.

Bishops Germogen (Dolganov), Nazariy (Kirillov), Seraphim (Chichagov)

and Evfimy (Eliev) in the bishop's house.

However, the hopes of St. Seraphim that his long-term stay in the diocese of Oryol, which he loved so much, would make it possible to carry out his plans for the revival of church life in it, was not destined to come true. The Holy Synod considered it necessary to entrust St. Seraphim with the administration of the diocese, in which church affairs were in an even more difficult situation than it was in the Oryol diocese by the time Bishop Seraphim arrived there, and on September 16, 1908, a decree was adopted appointing him to the Kishinev see . Again, as had already happened more than once in the life of St. Seraphim, having successfully begun another church act, he did not have the opportunity to directly participate in its completion.

Leaving the Oryol cathedra with deep spiritual pain, on October 28, 1908, Saint Seraphim arrived in the diocese of Kishinev, the condition of which exceeded the worst expectations of Vladyka. This is how St. Seraphim described in one of his letters the sad picture of diocesan affairs that appeared before his eyes in the new diocese: “I am upset by the southerners, how everything in their church has fallen, ritualism has disappeared, singing is still according to the notes of Bakhmetev and everything is distorted,” wrote Vladyka Seraphim . - The horror is that it is impossible for me to change, here the regent is the cathedral priest, the favorite of the whole city, who does not understand anything in singing, and he is a teacher in all educational institutions. There is only one bishop's choir in the whole city. The clergy of the cathedral of academicians-legalists. A cathedral without a parish, very poor, and I can’t do anything, so I don’t even have a keykeeper to help, for he is a teacher of the law. In a word, I have not seen such a situation anywhere in Russia and I am standing in a dead end, because there is absolutely no way out. The second problem is that the Moldovans in the villages do not speak Russian, in the monasteries - too, so it’s still terrible for me to travel to the dioceses, as it was in the Caucasus.”

The death in December 1908 of St. Righteous Father John of Kronstadt, who all these years continued to be the spiritual father of the saint. Pastoral instructions and prayerful intercession of St. Righteous John of Kronstadt during the entire period of the priesthood of St. Seraphim were the most important beginnings of his formation as a pastor, and then the archpastor of the Russian Orthodox Church, helped him overcome numerous spiritual temptations and worldly hardships, with which the life of everyone worthy of priestly service is abundantly filled. Only later, in the spring of 1909, did Vladyka Seraphim have a chance to "bow to the grave... of dear father Father John," who from that time on, like St. the Monk Seraphim of Sarov began to provide patronage to his spiritual child, standing before the Throne of the Most High in the heavenly world.

However, the sin of despondency was always overcome by St. Seraphim, who wonderfully combined the spiritual impressionability and sincerity of the heart so characteristic of Russian educated people with the courageous will and personal responsibility so unusual for Russian intellectuals. And the basis for overcoming this sin of despondency, which became a deep flaw in Russian spiritual and historical life in the 20th century, was the sincere Christian faith and prayerful life filled with spiritual sobriety. It is significant that at the turn of the difficult years 1908-1909 for him, having experienced the loss of people close to him and finding himself in almost complete spiritual loneliness in the outlying diocese, Saint Seraphim was able to draw new spiritual strength for himself in the active prayer and liturgical life that marked him. appearance in the Chisinau diocese, and in which the veneration of the miraculous Herbovets Icon of the Mother of God occupied a special place. During all the years of his stay in the Kishinev cathedra weekly services with akathists in front of the miraculous image of the icon famous in Bessarabia, Saint Seraphim not only caused a significant rise in prayerful enthusiasm in his flock, but also found for himself the peace of mind that he so lacked in this difficult time and archpastoral inspiration.

Starting the restoration of church life in the diocese of Chisinau with the activity of reviving active parishes through the creation of parish councils, which had already justified itself in the Oryol diocese, St. Seraphim discovered that the desolation of parish life in Bessarabia was combined with the desire of the parish clergy to determine the direction of the activity of the diocesan bishop in a direction favorable to him. . “My predecessor,” wrote St. Seraphim, “accustomed the Bessarabian clergy to do without a bishop, so that they completely settled themselves autonomously, received an elective beginning, disposed of conciliarly in all institutions, and the bishop only signed their desires and thoughts set forth in journals.” Having pointed out to the representatives of the parish clergy that it was not the struggle for power in the diocesan administration, but the care of their parish flock that was their main service, Saint Seraphim was forced to largely take upon himself the burden of spiritual and educational work in the parishes left by the parish priests. During all the years of his tenure at the Kishinev see, Vladyka Seraphim tirelessly visited practically all the parishes of his diocese, inspiring with his archpastoral example the parish clergy, who had plunged into the routine of fulfilling the demands and sometimes completely lost their liturgical piety.

The three-year creative activity of St. Seraphim at the Kishinev see not only led to a genuine transformation of the diocese, but also received the highest appreciation both in the Holy Synod and the Sovereign. And perhaps the best description of what Vladyka Seraphim did in the Chisinau diocese was the Supreme Decree of the Sovereign to the Holy Synod of May 16, 1912, addressed to the saint. “Your hierarchal service, marked by zeal for the spiritual and moral development of the flocks successively entrusted to you,” the Imperial Decree said, “is marked by special efforts to improve the Chisinau diocese. With your care and concern, church schools are multiplying in this diocese, the preaching activity of the clergy is intensifying, and the religious enlightenment of the Orthodox population of Bessarabia is rising. Your work on the device in the mountains deserves special attention. Chisinau Diocesan House and related educational and charitable institutions. In an expression of the Monarch's goodwill to such merits of yours, I ... recognized it as fair to raise you to the rank of Archbishop. Entrusting Myself to your prayers, I remain favorable to you. Nicholas."

Distinguished by the wonderful gift of preaching, Saint Seraphim found it possible to publish in Kishinev two books of his sermons, which he delivered throughout the entire period of his priesthood. Filled with high pastoral inspiration and addressed, as a rule, to the most pressing issues of the modern era of the saint, these sermons immediately after publication became an indispensable tool both for the preaching priests of the Kishinev diocese and for subsequent generations of Russian pastors.

The preaching activity of St. Seraphim, as well as all his archpastoral ministry, was directed not only to the arrangement of church life, but also to overcoming those destructive spiritual and social temptations with which Russian reality was filled at the beginning of the 20th century. Painfully experiencing the growing separation of the educated part of Russian society from the traditional, spiritual and historical principles of Russian life based on the Orthodox faith, Saint Seraphim severely denounced in his sermons the spiritual blindness of those who arrogated to themselves the right to act as new "leaders" and " prophets” for the Russian people who became alien to them. “Do we not see in our mediocre time,” said St. Seraphim, “new writers and publicists who are not capable of any serious, independent and talented work, but painfully striving to become at the head of the modern delusion of society, even if their extreme direction, completely immoral and irreligious. Using their imaginary right, supposedly universally recognized and quite authoritative, they are engaged in denunciations, even scourging with free printed word and judgments about things inaccessible to them, like religion, about Christianity, and especially about Orthodoxy and virtues ... In an attempt to please everyone, they bow even before the customs of the world, scientific errors and theoretical denials, and easily condescend to any lie, no matter how harmful and criminal it may be.

Belonging in his origin to the class that for centuries led the Russian people along the path of building the great Russian statehood, and being in his ministry a representative of the church hierarchy, which for centuries cultivated the ideal of Holy Russia in the people's soul, St. Seraphim perspicaciously saw in the godless revolutionary intelligentsia is only a destroyer of the Russian state and a corrupter of the Russian soul. “Those unbelievers who receive power, new rights and the greatest freedom from earthly kings, squander this wealth with even greater harm to themselves and, especially, to their neighbors, to their people. They squander the rights and power given to them for their planned struggle against religion, God-established authority, with the stubbornness of a people intact in the faith, with the old laws, with Christian concepts of property, freedom, duties to God, elders, parents and their neighbors. In the people, united by religion and devotion to the Anointed of God, they produce a split that penetrates into all institutions, schools, families, even into the streets, into the newspapers, the well-being of the people perishes, labor is depreciated, hundreds of thousands of needy, starving people are created, whom they greet with respect. , in their hypocrisy, the name "proletariat".

Having deeply survived the revolutionary turmoil of 1905-1907, which gave rise to numerous socio-political organizations that offered Russia the most diverse ways of its further development, Vladyka Seraphim considered it possible for himself to take part in the activities of the "Union of the Russian People", the program declarations of which were in the greatest consonance with the traditional ideals of Russian statehood, on which the future saint was brought up from childhood. Delivering a sermon on December 21, 1908 during the consecration of the banners brought by members of the Union of the Russian People to the Cathedral, Vladyka Seraphim clearly expressed his understanding of the political activities that this most influential socio-political organization in Bessarabia was supposed to conduct. "Beloved brothers! - said Saint Seraphim. - My heart is always filled with a joyful feeling when I see representatives of the “Union of the Russian People” marching with sacred banners and heading to churches for prayer ... After all, you brought here for blessing not swords necessary for people preparing for battle and enmity, and their sacred banners for sprinkling and consecration! And what is a banner? This is the banner of Christ's victory, which we are accustomed to seeing in the right hand of the Risen One from the dead, risen from the tomb and proclaim the victory over hell of the Son of God. This is the banner of victory not with a sword, but with truth and love ... Call the people to a peaceful struggle against the spread of evil in the Fatherland, to defend the Orthodox faith, to unite under the shadow of churches, and then on their mighty shoulders they will raise high the Anointed of God, the Russian Tsar , and the Russian power will shine again, having created a great state not with a numerous army, not with gold, but with the only strong faith in the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ.

The last year of his stay at the Kishinev cathedra was marked for St. Seraphim by his participation in the very dramatic events that were taking place at that time in the Optina Hermitage. As a recognized connoisseur and zealot of the traditions of monastic life, Vladyka Seraphim was instructed by the Holy Synod to investigate reports received by the Synod about alleged disturbances in the spiritual and economic life of the St. John the Baptist Skete of Optina Hermitage. Arriving at Optina Pustyn on December 30, 1911, and having served the Sunday Liturgy in the monastery church, Saint Seraphim spent the whole day at the John the Baptist skete in communion with the head of the skete, Elder Barsanuphius, who was mentioned in reports received by the Synod among the monks of the monastery who violated the monastic order. The details of the conversations of the future hieromartyr Bishop Seraphim with the future venerable abbot Barsanuphius, who were so similar to each other in the life path that preceded their entry into the path of priesthood, remained unnoticed. Although, of course, the question of the accusations that were raised against Elder Barsanuphius by his enemies in the face of the Most Holy Synod was one of the main topics of their many hours of communication, which took place both in the monastery church, where they served a moleben to St. Seraphim of Sarov in a cathedral, and in the cell of Elder Barsanuphius where they had a solitary conversation. Being one of the spiritual children closest to Elder Barsanuphius, Father Vasily Shustin left the following description of the events that preceded the arrival of St. Seraphim at the skete and his participation in the investigation of these events. “There were people whom the wisdom of the priest did not allow to live, and the enemy did not doze off,” Father Vasily wrote. - A certain Mitya tongue-tied from the mountains settled in the skete. Kozelsk. He was a drunkard and secretly corrupted the monks. Batiushka could not stand this and evicted him from the skete. Now a whole legion has openly taken up arms against Batiushka ... One of the women of the St. Petersburg religious and political circle of Countess Ignatieva came to Optina and collected all the accusations that could be invented against Batiushka: that Batiushka is a freethinker, that he loves luxury, because he decorates his cell flowers, that he freely treats women, that he poorly manages the skete property, takes money from the pilgrims. Bishop Seraphim (Chichagov), who came to Optina, whitewashed Batyushka, but the matter of his recall from Optina had already been decided somewhere. Fr. Varsonofy had to leave the skete... Just by that time I had arrived in Optina. Batiushka greeted me with joy and told me about his circumstances.”

Having found out the groundlessness of the accusations leveled against Elder Barsanuphius by his ill-wishers, and highly appreciating the spiritual experience of the Optina skete chief, Saint Seraphim began to persuade the elder to accept the abbotship in one of the large monasteries, the spiritual life in which required the guidance of an experienced mentor. As Elder Barsanuphius himself recalled: “When Bishop Seraphim took it into his head to transfer me from Optina, he said that Fr. To give Barsanuphius a wider range of activities, otherwise he will completely turn sour in the skete. A few months later, Elder Varsonofy was elevated to the rank of archimandrite and sent as rector to the ancient Staro-Golutvin Monastery in the Moscow diocese.

At the same time, St. Seraphim, being a strict guardian of the traditions of ancient monastic piety, found it unacceptable for laymen to live permanently within the walls of the monastery, even if they had Optina elders as their confessors. In the spring of 1912, after Vladyka Seraphim's report, the Holy Synod adopted a synodal decree that regulated certain aspects of monastic life in Optina Hermitage and, in particular, did not allow laymen to live there permanently. The religious writer S. A. Nilus, who was forced to leave the monastery in connection with the synodal decree, was inclined to reproach St. Seraphim for excessive cruelty, who pointed out to S. A. Nilus that his residence in Optina Hermitage was unacceptable due to the circumstances of his family life that gave rise to temptation , which at one time served as the basis for Archbishop Anthony (Khrapovitsky) to refuse S. A. Nilus in priestly ordination. Striving to maintain the unquestioned authority of the Optina Hermitage, Saint Seraphim did not consider it possible to make an exception in the matter of the removal of the laity from the Optina Hermitage even for such a well-known religious writer who had powerful patrons at court as S. A. Nilus.

In 1912, the ministry of Archbishop Seraphim at the Kishinev See was coming to an end. However, a spiritually expressive indication of the place of the new service was given to the saint three years earlier, when on June 12, 1909, Vladyka Seraphim was present at the solemn restoration of the church veneration of St. Blessed Grand Duchess Anna Kashinskaya in the diocese of Tver. Having taken an active part in the preparation of the synodal decree on the restoration of the veneration of the great ascetic of the Russian Orthodox Church, Saint Seraphim reverently accepted the icon of St. Anna Kashinskaya with a particle of her relics and transported her to the Chisinau diocese, where the icon was placed in the temple of the Izmail Holy Dormition Monastery and became famous for repeated miracles. In 1912, the Tver diocese accepted for archpastoral service precisely Saint Seraphim, in whose spiritual life the Tver shrines had a special significance in those years, and who, by the decree of the Holy Synod, was appointed archbishop of Tver and Kashinsky.

The situation in the church life of the Tver diocese was much better than in all those dioceses in which St. Seraphim had to serve before. Therefore, the important experience of reviving parish life, which Vladyka acquired during the previous years of his episcopal service, could be fully realized in the Tver diocese, especially since the provision on the new parish charter adopted in 1914 by the Holy Synod largely corresponded to the basic ideas of St. Seraphim on the development of parish life. In this regard, it is very significant that the epistle “On the Revival of Parish Life”, composed by Vladyka Seraphim as an appeal to the diocesan clergy, but in terms of the depth of its content more reminiscent of an essay on pastoral theology, was written by him precisely during his stay at the Tver cathedra.

Deeply convinced that all church transformations should begin with the transformation of the pastoral image of the church hierarchy, St. Seraphim emphasized in his epistle the responsibility of the parish clergy in the revival of parish communities. “To the extent that the revival of parishes requires the improvement of the morality of the people,” Vladyka Seraphim wrote, “so much it depends on the revival of the pastorate. First of all, this reform consists in the revival of consciousness, spirit and activity in pastors, without which nothing true, spiritual, grace-filled and moral can penetrate into the life of parishioners.

Not only knowing well as an archpastor, but also directly experiencing as a parish priest the social humiliation of the clergy, Vladyka Seraphim always sought to awaken in the parish clergy that sense of social dignity, which he perceived from childhood thanks to his truly aristocratic upbringing, and without which, in his opinion, the clergy were doomed to be on the sidelines not only of public, but also of parish life. “It’s a shame to hear that such an unfair feeling is hidden in the pastors, as if the poverty and humiliation of the clergy, the contempt of society for them ... drowns out noble feelings in the priest. I will never agree with this... Society despises only the unworthy. Finally, we must understand that society, the people, needs us, is looking for good shepherds, grieves when they do not find it, and it has the right to demand that the clergy be spiritual. And if it is not spiritual, then, of course, no one needs it ... in order to avoid the sad possibility of becoming outcasts of the world, we must say goodbye to our laziness, apathy and indifference, begin to be interested in urgent issues of the time; we must sensitively listen to them, illuminate them with bright rays of Christ's teachings, and in this illumination satisfy the natural inquisitiveness of our parishioners, who expect authoritative guidance from us in their spiritual life.

Having become an authoritative Orthodox theologian thanks to his constantly deepening theological self-education, and at the same time as a ruling bishop who directed several diocesan seminaries, Saint Seraphim knew perfectly well that the scholastic routine of provincial theological seminaries often hindered the formation of truly Orthodox pastors in them. “If the theological school,” Vladyka Seraphim wrote, “at one time did not have time to create from us experienced and sincere leaders in the religious and moral life of the people, if it made gaps on the way to this goal, then who or what prevents us from filling these gaps by one’s own work on one’s self-improvement, on acquiring broad experience, the necessary information and knowledge ... The path of self-education, the broad development of one’s spiritual strengths and abilities by reading books of religious and moral content, acquiring the spiritual experience and maturity necessary in our rank - this path is neither for whom it is not closed.

However, less than anyone in the church hierarchy, Saint Seraphim was inclined to share the prejudice that had spread among the rationalistically thinking clergy that a priest should act in his parish community only as a religious enlightener and organizer of parish charity. As a spiritual child of the great prayer book of the Russian Orthodox Church, St. Righteous John of Kronstadt and considering prayerful-liturgical piety as an ideal for all Orthodox Christians, Vladyka Seraphim considered prayerful-Eucharistic life to be the basis of the work of a parish priest. "Pray without ceasing" - this is the commandment of the Apostles and given not only to monks, but also to pastors, and to all Christians, stressed St. Seraphim. - ... The highest academy for a pastor is a corner in which an icon weighs and a lampada glows. In conversation with God, the shepherd will learn immutable truths and truth about both the present and the future life.

Formulating in detail and resolving in his message “On the Revival of Parish Life” the specific spiritual, moral, administrative and economic tasks facing both diocesan bishops and parish priests, Vladyka Seraphim emphasized the impossibility of solving these problems without actively involving them in this activity through parish advice from a wide range of Orthodox laity. “The parish council,” Vladyka Seraphim wrote, “is needed not for meetings about Christian truths, the conductor of which is the pastor, but for meetings about the application of well-known measures, under the given circumstances and conditions of life, having a great Christian task - to revive in the community the desire to observe the commandments of God and church regulations, to streamline the relationship of children to parents, rich and well-fed to the poor and hungry, to eradicate vices in members of the community and to enlighten people. These measures, thought out together with the parish council, the pastor can put into practice only with the help of the members of the council, and not alone.”

At the same time, Bishop Seraphim noted that in modern conditions, an active role for women in the life of parish communities is necessary. “A woman ... always responds to a good deed with great eagerness,” the saint pointed out, “so that not a single temple of God is built or decorated without the participation of a woman. They have always been and will be the first in this respect ... It is highly desirable for women to participate in the affairs of parish councils, where they could manage charitable affairs and carry out other duties that are most characteristic of them.

And yet, the main burden of work to restore both diocesan and parish life, in the opinion of St. Seraphim, should be taken on by the ruling bishop. “The beginning of the revival of parish life should come from the bishop,” Vladyka Seraphim emphasized. - If the latter does not unite with his assistant pastors, then they will not unite among themselves and the parishioners; if the bishop does not imbue this idea of ​​reviving the parish, does not himself talk to the pastors during his tour of the diocese, give them detailed practical instructions, does not correspond with complete selflessness with the perplexed priests, filially questioning the archpastor in their difficulties... there will be no revival and a new the vital principle will not penetrate our dead communities.”

The characterization of the duties of the ruling bishop, contained in the above words of the saint, perfectly corresponds to the archpastoral activity of Vladyka Seraphim himself throughout his ministry and, in particular, during his stay at the Tver cathedra. But, perhaps, this selfless service and strict archpastoral exactingness in relation to the parish clergy subordinate to the archbishop became the reasons for the difficult trials that Saint Seraphim had to endure during the revolutionary upheavals of 1917 on the Tver land that welcomed him so cordially.

For the saint, as well as for all of Russia, the first world war, which began in 1914, was a harbinger of trials of civil unrest, to which Vladyka responded not only as an archpastor who knew how to alleviate the sorrows of people who suffered from the war, but also as a former Russian officer who was well aware of the needs of Russian soldiers who defended their Fatherland in the most difficult conditions of the most bloody of all wars known to mankind at that time. Sermons and collections of donations for the wounded and crippled soldiers, calling for steadfastness and at the same time for mercy, inspired prayers for the victory of the Russian army and participation in events to organize assistance to refugees and to equip hospitals and ambulance trains with the necessary means, and finally, calls for the diocesan clergy to join the ranks military clergy, and parish clerks not to evade military service - this is a far from complete list of the deeds of St. Seraphim during the entire period of the war.

Most of all, at that time, Vladyka feared that the war with external enemies, which would bring enormous material deprivation and moral suffering, would be aggravated by internal turmoil, which would undermine the foundations of that Orthodox-monarchical statehood, without which the continued existence of not only the Russian state, but also Russian Orthodox Church. Therefore, when in the March days of 1917 the abdication of the Sovereign called into question the very existence of the monarchy, and the Holy Synod considered it necessary to support the Provisional Government as the only legitimate body of supreme power in the country, St. Seraphim, continuing to obey the highest church and state authorities, did not hide their negative attitude towards the changes that have taken place in Russia. This position of Vladyka Seraphim, combined with his reputation as a right-wing monarchist in liberal church and public circles, attracted the attention of the Chief Prosecutor of the Provisional Government V. N. Lvov, who, like the Chief Prosecutors of Imperial Russia, allowed himself to interfere in the affairs of the Holy Synod, demanding the removal from the episcopal chairs of church hierarchs who seemed disloyal to the authorities. Despite the fact that the Synod did not raise the issue of removing St. Seraphim from the Tver cathedra, his position in the diocese became complicated due to the desire of the archbishop's enemies from among the parish clergy to encroach on the power of the ruling bishop, who had fallen out of favor with the chief procurator.

In April 1917, on the initiative of Chief Prosecutor V.N. Lvov and with the blessing of the Russian Orthodox Church, diocesan congresses began to take place with the participation of elected representatives, designed to consider the pressing issues of diocesan life and prepare for the convocation of the Local Council. Saint Seraphim developed the regulations and program for such a congress for the diocese he headed. But already in the process of electing the participants in the congress, the principles of elections developed by the ruling bishop were violated, as a result of which the composition of the participants in the congress acquired the character of an arbitrarily composed assembly, in which laymen who often did not represent the parishes of the diocese predominated, and which was chaired by the priest, who was banned by the church court former priest of the Vyatka diocese of Tikhvin. Having opened its work on April 20, 1917, the Tver diocesan congress adopted a program of work not only different from the program approved by St. Seraphim, but which envisaged consideration as one of the main issues of the congress, which went beyond its competence, the question of the re-election of the diocesan bishop and the entire diocesan clergy. As a result of the furious agitation waged by Bishop Seraphim’s opponents, at the congress a completely uncanonical resolution was adopted by a majority vote of its participants, suggesting that St. Seraphim leave the Tver cathedra due to the fact that the congress “does not trust his church and social activities.”

The Synod sent Bishop of Samara Mikhail (Bogdanov) to the Tver diocese to investigate the actions of the participants in the diocesan congress. Due to the fact that Bishop Michael did not find any grounds in the activities of St. Seraphim to justify the decision of the diocesan congress to remove the ruling bishop from the chair, the Synod instructed Bishop Michael to preside over the Tver diocesan congress on August 8, 1917, with the aim of contributing to the restoration of the canonical authority of St. Seraphim in the Tver diocese. However, by this time revolutionary political passions were increasingly penetrating the participants in the diocesan congress, and the enemies of St. Seraphim, who represented a small group of clerics and clerks, tried to give the appearance of a struggle with a political reactionary to the renewal of social and church life in the diocese. As a result of these intrigues, the diocesan congress by a small majority of votes (142 against 136) passed a second non-canonical decision on the expulsion of Vladyka Seraphim. And yet, most of the diocesan clergy and the bulk of the Orthodox laity continued to venerate St. Seraphim as the only canonical ruling archpastor of their diocese.

Numerous letters from the parish clergy and parish councils, addressed both to Vladyka Seraphim and to the diocesan congress, testified to the desire of the diocese to keep their archpastor and insisted on the annulment of the decision of the diocesan congress. Particularly gratifying for Saint Seraphim was the unanimous support expressed to him by the Tver monastics, when the nuns and nuns of all 36 Tver monasteries demanded that the diocesan congress add their votes to those 136 votes of the participants in the congress that were cast in favor of leaving the saint on the Tver cathedra.

During this difficult time for Bishop Seraphim, the Holy Synod continued to regard him as the sole ruling bishop of the Tver diocese. Therefore, in the summer of 1917, Saint Seraphim, by decision of the Synod, was included among the members of the Local Council ex officio - precisely as the ruling bishop, the Archbishop of Tver and Kashinsky. Already in the summer, Saint Seraphim was actively involved in the work of the Local Council, heading the Cathedral Department “Monasteries and Monasticism” so close to his heart.

Taking an active part in the work of the first session of the Local Council, which took place from August 16 to December 9, 1917, Vladyka Seraphim successfully led the work of the cathedral department entrusted to him, which developed draft definitions and resolutions of the Council, designed to create the most favorable conditions for the further development of the monastic and monastic life in the Russian Orthodox Church.

However, the intensification of revolutionary unrest in Russia in the autumn of 1917 and the seizure of power in Petrograd by the Bolsheviks had disastrous consequences for the development of events in the Tver diocese. Realizing that the majority of the clergy and laity of the diocese continued to remain faithful to St. Seraphim, some members of the diocesan council, elected on dubious canonical grounds back in April 1917, decided to resort to the help of the Bolshevik authorities in Tver, who at that time openly expressed their anti-God sentiments and did not hide their hatred for Vladyka Seraphim as "a church obscurantist and a Black Hundreds monarchist." On December 28, 1917, the Religious Department of the Tver Provincial Executive Committee of the Council of Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Deputies issued an order to expel Archbishop Seraphim from the Tver Governorate. Thus, one of the most firm and uncompromising church hierarchs in Russia, St. Seraphim was the first victim of a blasphemous conspiracy of cassock apostates with the atheistic communist authorities; this conspiracy would subsequently form the basis of the struggle of the Renovationist clergy with the Orthodox church hierarchy, and for many decades would overshadow church life in Russia with the sin of denunciation and betrayal.

A copy of the directive of the Tver Provincial Executive Committee was sent to St. Patriarch Tikhon on January 18, 1918, but Vladyka Seraphim’s participation in the second session of the Local Council that had just begun made it possible for High Hierarch Tikhon, who boldly denounced the theomachist authorities in his Message of January 19, to refrain from immediately taking measures to restore the canonical the power of Archbishop Seraphim in the Tver diocese, which could lead to the reprisal of the Bolsheviks against St. Seraphim.

Desiring to save the saint from the outrageous reprisals of the Bolsheviks, a few days before the dispersal of the Local Council on September 17, 1918, St. Patriarch Tikhon managed to make a decision at a meeting of the Holy Synod to appoint Vladyka Seraphim to the Warsaw and Privislensky cathedra, located on the territory free from the power of the Bolsheviks in Poland.

Having received a new appointment, Saint Seraphim, with his characteristic archpastoral responsibility, assumed the burden of leading the diocese, devastated by the war and deprived of almost all the parish clergy and a significant part of the diocesan property, which were evacuated to Russia during the First World War. However, the very first actions taken by Vladyka Seraphim in his capacity as Archbishop of Warsaw met with fierce resistance from the Soviet government, which expressed itself in refusing to grant the request of St. Seraphim to leave him, together with the clergy subordinate to him, to the territory of Poland. The growing civil war and the subsequent Soviet-Polish war made it physically impossible for Vladyka Seraphim to leave for the diocese entrusted to him, and until the end of 1920 the saint remained outside his diocese, staying in the Chernigov skete near the Holy Trinity-Sergius Lavra and finding spiritual support in so consonant with him and for many years because of the episcopal service of the inaccessible prayerful and ascetic life of a monastery monk.

In January 1921, shortly after the end of the Soviet-Polish war, Vladyka Seraphim received a synodal order on the need to speed up the return of the Orthodox clergy and church property to the Warsaw diocese in connection with the plight of the Orthodox population of Poland, who had lost many churches during the war. Built at this time, St. Patriarch Tikhon, already in the rank of Metropolitan, Saint Seraphim applied to the People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs, where he was told that the question of his departure to Poland could be considered only after the arrival of an official Polish representation in Moscow. However, soon after Vladyka Seraphim’s negotiations with Polish diplomats who arrived in Moscow in the spring of 1921, the Cheka authorities carried out a search of St. Seraphim, as a result of which letters were confiscated from him to the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Poland, Cardinal Kapovsky, and to Archpriest who represented the interests of the Orthodox clergy in Warsaw Vrublevsky. These letters, after the interrogation of the saint by the Chekists on May 11, 1921, without any grounds, were taken as the basis for the absolutely fantastic accusations of Bishop Seraphim that, once in Poland "as an emissary of the Russian Patriarchate," he would "coordinate - against the Russian working masses - abroad the front of the overthrown Russian landowners and capitalists under the flag of the "team of friends of Jesus". As a result, on June 24, 1921, St. Seraphim, who did not suspect anything of the impending danger, was given the first official sentence in his life, adopted at a meeting of the judicial troika of the Cheka, which took place without the presence of the saint, and decided "to imprison citizen Chichagov in the Arkhangelsk concentration camp for a period of two years" . However, Bishop Seraphim, who was under the secret supervision of the Cheka, continued to remain at large, awaiting permission to leave for the Warsaw diocese, and was unexpectedly arrested only on September 21, 1921 and placed in the Taganka prison.

The request of the daughters of Vladyka Natalia and Ekaterina Chichagov to the chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, Kalinin, for his release due to old age and ill health caused a resolution of the chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee on the advisability of leaving the saint in a Moscow prison "for about half a year", and on January 13, 1922, the head of the secret department of the Cheka Rutkovsky, on behalf of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, drew up a new conclusion on the "case" of Vladyka Seraphim: Chichagov is powerless to do anything tangibly hostile against the RSFSR. Moreover, taking into account his senile age, 65 years old, I believe that the decision on expulsion for 2 years should be applied conditionally, releasing c. Chichagova L. M. from custody. On January 16, 1922, by order of the Presidium of the Cheka, the already seriously ill saint left the Taganka prison.

Having overcome his illness only by the beginning of spring, Saint Seraphim, who already clearly understood the impossibility for him to go to the Warsaw diocese because of the opposition of the Soviet authorities, was attracted by St. Patriarch Tikhon as a member of the Holy Synod to resolve issues of higher church administration. Vladyka Seraphim’s great ecclesiastical administrative experience, his firm archpastoral will, despite his advancing years and endured trials, made his presence in the Synod highly undesirable for the Bolshevik authorities, who at that time were preparing the arrest of St. Patriarch Tikhon and the seizure of the highest church administration by their proteges from among renovation clergy. Therefore, on April 22, 1922, in the 6th department of the VChK, another conclusion was prepared on the never-ending "case" of Metropolitan Seraphim. “Taking into account,” this conclusion said, “that Belavin, together with the Synod, is still pursuing a reactionary policy against the Soviet government, and that in the presence of the well-known reactionary Chichagov in the Synod, the clergy loyal to the authorities do not dare to openly show their loyalty because for fear of reprisals from Chichagov, as well as the fact that the main reason for the subsequent release of Chichagov from his punishment, an allegedly acute painful condition, does not find an excuse after his release and does not in the least prevent Chichagov from dealing with the affairs of the administration of the clergy, I believe ... Chichagova Leonida Mikhailovich ... to detain and send in stages to the disposal of the Arkhangelsk Gubernia Department for moving into a place of residence, as an administrative exile for a period of June 24, 1923. On the basis of this conclusion, the judicial board of the GPU, chaired by Unshlikht, on April 25 sentenced Bishop Seraphim to exile in the Arkhangelsk region.

Arriving in Arkhangelsk in May 1922, the saint found himself fraught with the need to go through interrogations again, connected this time with an unprecedented campaign of the authorities against the Orthodox clergy on charges of resisting the seizure of church valuables. Being chained to a hospital bed as a result of an illness aggravated during the transfer to Arkhangelsk, Vladyka Seraphim was forced to give written testimony, which, of course, could not suit the investigators of the GPU. “Living aside from the church administration and its orders,” wrote the saint, “I only observed the events from a distance and did not participate in the issue of removing valuables from churches to help the starving population. Everything written in the modern press accusing the bishops and clergy of being unsympathetic to the donation of church valuables for the needs of the people filled my heart with cruel resentment and pain, for my many years of service experience, close acquaintance with the clergy and people testified to me that in Orthodox Russia there can be no believer a Christian, and even more so a bishop or priest, who cherishes dead values ​​\u200b\u200band church decorations, metal and stone more than living brothers and sisters, suffering from hunger, dying of exhaustion and disease.

Deprived of his bishopric and languishing under conditions of severe northern exile, Saint Seraphim continued to be a sympathetic archpastor, not only praying for his many spiritual children, but instructing them in his letters even when his own trials and sorrows seemed insurmountable. Remarkable is the letter of the saint, sent by him from the Arkhangelsk exile to one of his spiritual sons, later to the priest Alexei Belyaev. “We are all people, and it is impossible that the sea of ​​life does not foam with its shame, the dirt does not float up and this does not cleanse the depth of the whole element. You, however, be only with Christ, the one Truth, Truth and Love, and with Him everything is beautiful, everything is clear, everything is pure and comforting. Move away with your mind and heart, thoughts from the evil that rules over the graceless, and take care of one thing - to keep in yourself, by faith, divine grace, through which Christ and His world instill in us. It is impossible not to see this evil; but it is quite possible not to allow it to distract from God's truth. Yes, it exists and is terrible in its manifestations, but how unfortunate are those who obey it. After all, we do not refuse to study the truth and listen to smart people, because there are crazy people among us in the hospital and at large. Such facts do not turn one away from life; therefore, we should not be led astray from the path of truth and goodness by the fact that at times the force of evil manifests its earthly might. God cannot be mocked, but what a man sows, that he will also reap. Learn inner prayer so that it is not noticed by your appearance and does not embarrass anyone. The more we are occupied with inner prayer, the fuller, more reasonable and more rewarding our life in general. And the time passes more imperceptibly and faster. For this, the Jesus Prayer and your own short sayings “help me, Lord” or “protect and strengthen me” or “teach” and so on are especially useful. The one who prays inwardly looks at everything external indifferently, distractedly, for this prayer is not mental, but heartfelt, separating from the surface of the earth and bringing it closer to the invisible Heaven. Learn to forgive everyone their shortcomings and mistakes due to their submission to evil power, and, undoubtedly, an abnormal state of mind. Say to yourself: "Help him, Lord, for he is spiritually ill!" Such a consciousness will prevent condemnation, for only one who is perfect and does not make mistakes, knows everything, and most importantly, knows for sure that a person does not act according to the circumstances that have developed around him, but according to his own will, according to his passion, can judge.

After spending about a year in exile in Arkhangelsk, St. Seraphim returned to Moscow, which, in connection with the arrest of St. Patriarch Tikhon and the temporary seizure by the Renovationists of the highest church administration, was going through a period of internal turmoil. Vladyka Seraphim temporarily withdrew from active church activity, maintaining prayerful and Eucharistic communion with the clergy and brethren of the St. Danilov Monastery, in which the confessor Archimandrite Georgy (Lavrov) served and in which Archbishop Theodore (Pozdeevsky) of Volokolamsk, whose ecclesiastical position was in this time is closest to St. Seraphim. However, on April 16, 1924, Vladyka was again arrested by the GPU, who this time charged him with organizing the glorification of St. Seraphim of Sarov in 1903. The investigation of St. Patriarch Tikhon filed a petition with the OGPU for the release of the 68-year-old bishop, in which he vouched for his loyal attitude to the existing government. At first ignored by the head of the 6th branch of the secret department of the OGPU Tuchkov, this petition, two months later, nevertheless contributed to the release of St. Seraphim, who, nevertheless, at the request of the authorities, soon had to leave Moscow.

At this time, the saint had to endure a new trial, which this time fell upon him not from the side of the persecutors of the Church, but from the side of the abbess of the Diveevsky monastery so dear to his heart, Alexandra (Trokovskaya), whose election as abbess more than 20 years ago was facilitated by St. Seraphim himself. After Vladyka, expelled from Moscow by the authorities, turned to Abbess Alexandra with a request to give him shelter in the Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery, the abbess refused the persecuted confessor. The reason for this severe refusal, in all likelihood, was the conflict that took place many years ago between Abbess Alexandra and Bishop Seraphim, related to the fact that the abbess, contrary to the blessing of the Monk Elder Seraphim on the place of laying a new temple, which Vladyka repeatedly reminded her of, built a temple in another place. Subsequently, this temple, for reasons inexplicable from a human point of view, was never consecrated, and St. Seraphim from that time on did not visit the Diveevo Monastery.

Rejected by the monastery, near which the saint had hoped to find his last rest for more than 30 years since the burial of his wife Natalia Nikolaevna there, Vladyka Seraphim, together with his daughter Natalia (seraphim in monasticism), was received by Abbess Arsenia (Dobronravova) at the Resurrection Feodorovsky Monastery, located near Shuya . For several years, this monastery was destined to become the last quiet monastic haven for almost 10 years of the 70-year-old saint who walked along the thorny path of confession. Celebration of Sunday and holiday services and spiritual guidance to the nuns of the monastery, classes with the monastery choir, to which, being a great connoisseur of church singing, Vladyka Seraphim paid much attention, and the continuation of work on the second part of the Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery, which was not allowed to print before the revolution censorship and was subsequently seized during the next KGB search - these were the main obediences assumed by the saint during the years of his stay in the Resurrection Feodorovsky Monastery.

But at the same time, these were years of deep reflections of St. Seraphim about the fate of the Church in Russia and about the ways of his own service to the Church in the era of historical timelessness that came in these years. It seemed that imperial Russia, which St. Seraphim served as an Orthodox warrior for 15 years, and under whose crowned patronage his service to the Orthodox Church as a clergyman, continued for a quarter of a century, had irrevocably gone. In place of the Orthodox-monarchical statehood, there came a theomachic power, unprecedented in Russian history, proclaiming one of its main goals the destruction of the Russian Orthodox Church. The confessional death of St. Patriarch Tikhon and the removal from church life of the future Hieromartyr Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan of Krutitsy Peter (Polyansky) 8 months after it caused the beginning of perhaps the most difficult stage in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church in the 20th century. It was during these years, with the ever-increasing persecution of the Church by the communist state and the incessant attempts of renovationist schismatics to destroy church life, that dangerous contradictions began to arise among the clergy and laity faithful of the Orthodox Church, connected with the understanding of the canonical powers of the Deputy Patriarchal Locum Tenens, Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) of Nizhny Novgorod and with different ideas about the future prospects for the existence of the Russian Orthodox Church, as seeking official recognition from the state or as going into the catacombs. At this fatal turning point in Russian church history, having come to the conclusion that the Orthodox Church must openly carry out its ministry in Russia, even having lost the patronage of Orthodox sovereigns, St. Seraphim courageously made his final spiritual choice and took the side of that part of the church hierarchy that recognized Metropolitan Sergius as the only legitimate successor to the Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Peter, equal to him in his canonical powers, and supported his policy of upholding the official recognition of the Orthodox Church as state power.

At the end of 1927, having said a touching farewell to the nuns of the Resurrection Feodorovsky Monastery, Vladyka Seraphim forever left the monastery that had given him a hospitable refuge to take part in the activities of the Provisional Patriarchal Holy Synod. The support of such an authoritative church hierarch, known for his firmness and uncompromisingness, as St. Seraphim was, was extremely important for Metropolitan Sergius, who at that time was increasingly reproached by his opponents from among the Orthodox episcopate for unacceptable concessions to state power. And it is very indicative that the metropolitan see, to which Vladyka Seraphim was appointed by the decree of the Deputy Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Sergius and the Provisional Patriarchal Synod of February 23, 1928, was in the Leningrad diocese, from where Metropolitan Sergius was most loudly reproached for these unacceptable concessions.

The Leningrad diocese in 1928 represented one of the most full of intra-church contradictions among the dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church. Having turned out to be the cradle of the God-fighting Bolshevik regime, which gathered its first bloody harvest among the Orthodox clergy precisely in the Petrograd diocese, the "city on the Neva" in the early 1920s. thanks to the intrigues of the state authorities and the infirmities of some part of the diocesan clergy, it turned into a stronghold of renovationism. It was in this city, where the theomachic nature of the Bolshevik government manifested itself especially fiercely and sophisticatedly, that a church movement became possible, in which the eschatological understanding of the current stage of Russian church history prevailed, and which, because of this, refused to recognize the spiritual justification of the policy of Metropolitan Sergius, aimed at preserving through the inevitable compromises with the state power of the officially existing church hierarchy. Having accepted as its authoritative head Metropolitan Joseph (Petrovs), who in the autumn of 1927 opposed Metropolitan Sergius after his transfer from the Leningrad see to the Odessa diocese, and in connection with this received the name "Josephian", this church movement, in which several vicar bishops and a significant part of the clergy of the Leningrad diocese in 1928 embraced 61 of the 100 Orthodox parishes operating in Leningrad and cut them off from prayerful and canonical communion with the Moscow Patriarchate.

It was to this diocese, which turned out to be split not so much as a result of the intrigues of the authorities, but as a result of the loss of spiritual unity between Orthodox clergy and laity, that on March 8, 1828, Saint Seraphim arrived as the new ruling bishop. Vladyka Seraphim was well known among the Orthodox Christians of the former Russian capital, not only because the bright secular half of his 72-year life passed in his native city, but also because, even after leaving St. Petersburg in 1891 after becoming a clergyman, St. Seraphim all subsequent years he regularly visited his hometown and participated in its church life. The personality of St. Seraphim could not but arouse respect even among the members of the “Josephite” parishes, for being in his past, first a St. Petersburg aristocrat and guards officer, and then a strictly Orthodox church hierarch known for his monarchism, Vladyka Seraphim personified that Orthodox-monarchical Russia, the collapse of which evoked a feeling of the impending end of the world, characteristic of many participants in the “Josephite” movement, when church life inevitably had to go into the catacombs.

After his arrival in the diocese, Vladyka Seraphim settled in the former abbot's chambers of the Voskresensky Novodevichy Convent, which also housed the Leningrad Diocesan Council, formed in November 1927, whose chairman in 1928 was Bishop Nikolay (Yarushevich), who remained faithful to Metropolitan Sergius.

Metropolitan Seraphim in the abbot's chambers of the Resurrection Novodevichy Convent,

Leningrad 1928-1933

Saint Seraphim marked his stay in the diocese by the fact that in the conditions of cruel and all-round restrictions on church life by state authorities, he made the reverent celebration of Sunday and holiday services and inspired preaching in city and suburban churches the basis of his archpastoral ministry. Vladyka Seraphim celebrated the first Divine Liturgy in the new diocese at the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior, dear to his heart, which he often attended as a Guards officer, and where on April 8, 1879, he was married to his wife Natalia Nikolaevna.

At the same time, Saint Seraphim strove in every possible way to support the desire of many Orthodox Christians, discovered by him in the parish churches of the diocese, in this time filled with incredible suffering and deprivation for them to approach the Holy Mysteries of Christ as often as possible. This is how one of his contemporaries described the liturgical sermon of Vladyka Seraphim and the vicar bishops who supported him. “The bishops, in particular, Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov) of Petrograd, even now convincingly call their flock to the Liturgy and communion of the Holy Mysteries, as the surest and most powerful means against spiritual evil and the onslaught of infidels in our Motherland. As long as the Divine Liturgy is being served, while people are approaching Divine Communion, until then one can be sure that the Orthodox Church will stand and win, that the Russian people will not perish in the evil of sin, godlessness, malice, materialism, pride and impurity, that our Motherland will be reborn and saved. Therefore, Metropolitan Seraphim convinces the clergy and flock, above all, think about the preservation, celebration and continuous service (daily, even multiple on different thrones) of the Liturgy. If she will, there will be both the Church and Russia.”
Warming up the prayerful spirit of his flock, since June 4, 1928, every Tuesday in the Church of the Sign near the Moscow railway station, where there was a chapel in honor of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov, Bishop Seraphim served with an akathist to the Monk, which had once been compiled by the saint himself and read by heart during the service .

To resolve one of the most important tasks of his diocesan ministry - overcoming the "Josephite" schism, St. Seraphim set about gradually, explaining in his sermons the danger of this division for the canonical unity of the persecuted Russian Orthodox Church and entering into negotiations with some leading representatives of the "Josephite" clergy. On April 1, 1928, Vladyka Seraphim gave his blessing in all the parish churches of the city to make a special prayer for the appeasement of the Church.

Significant help in the polemic with the "Josephite" schismatics was rendered to Saint Seraphim by Bishop Manuel (Lemeshevsky) of Serpukhov, who arrived in Leningrad at his invitation at the end of April 1928. Deeply respected by many Orthodox Christians of the city for his selfless struggle against the Petrograd renovationists in the early 1920s. Bishop Manuel urged his many admirers, both among the flock of Vladyka Seraphim and among the “Josephites,” to maintain church unity under the omophorion of Metropolitan Sergius. Of particular importance for the unity of church life in the city was the Divine Liturgy celebrated on April 29, 1928 by St. Seraphim in concelebration with Bishop Manuel at the Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral, at which both bishops, recalling the devastating consequences for the Church of the Renovationist schism in the Petrograd diocese, urged not to allow new division among Orthodox Christians.

However, despite the return of some “Josephite” parishes to the jurisdiction of Metropolitan Sergius, the leaders of this movement were not inclined to restore church peace in the diocese and, as conditions for their return to the bosom of the Moscow Patriarchate, put forward demands unacceptable to Metropolitan Sergius, which implied a complete revision of church policy by him. and his renunciation of those powers in the field of higher church administration, which were assigned to him by the Patriarchal Locum Tenens, Metropolitan Peter. The irreconcilability of the leaders of the "Josephite" clergy forced Saint Seraphim to take more decisive measures towards the schismatics. In an effort to preserve the Holy Trinity-Alexander Nevsky Lavra in canonical communion with Metropolitan Sergius, Vladyka Seraphim in May 1928 succeeded in removing Bishop Grigory (Lebedev) of Shlisselburg from the Lavra’s deputies, who was becoming more and more close to the “Josephites”. However, in November 1928, the latter went on to organize a schism even among the Lavra clergy, as a result of which 5 of the 7 churches of the Lavra, despite the fact that most of their parishioners remained faithful to St. Seraphim, began to commemorate Metropolitan Joseph at divine services.

Feeling the ever-increasing support of the majority of Orthodox Christians in the city and recognizing the need to act within the framework of Soviet legislation, Vladyka Seraphim called on his flock of laity to join the "twenty" "Josephite" churches and, achieving a "numerical majority" there, replace the "Josephite" clergy for clergy who were in canonical communion with Metropolitan Sergius. The return of the “Josephite” parishes to him, which was outlined as a result of these actions of St. Seraphim, prompted the constant stressing of their independence from the godless power of the Josephites to turn to the help of the relevant state authorities in order to preserve parish churches for their supporters. Metropolitan Joseph, in their statement to the registration desk of the Volodarsky District Council they wrote: “We bring to your attention that believers ... from November 1 of this year. officially joined and entrenched in the prayerful communion of our beliefs with Met. Joseph in the person of Ep. Demetrius. Thus, they renounced the ecclesiastical authority of M. Sergius imposed on us. Attached, notifying you, in a timely manner 4 clergymen. In order to avoid possible craftiness on the part of M. Seraphim (Chichagov), we ask you to leave the number of twenty as has been practiced until now.

Thus, the anti-church nature of any canonical schism forced the sincere in their Orthodox faith "Josephites" to follow in the footsteps of the Renovationists, who often trampled on the foundations of the Orthodox faith in search of the patronage of the God-fighting authorities, and Vladyka Seraphim, who cared for the unity of Orthodox Church life, again became more and more objectionable to the Bolshevik authorities, who sought to use even so alien to them "Josephites" for the destruction of church life.

The saint was well aware that his successes in restoring church peace among the diocesan clergy and laity would be fraught for him with an inevitable clash with the godless communist state, especially since the repressions against the Church throughout the country in the late 1920s. intensified significantly. And yet, throughout his entire stay in the Leningrad diocese, courageously overcoming all sorts of obstacles and threats emanating from state bodies, and humbly enduring the blasphemy and slander spread from among the supporters of Metropolitan Joseph, Saint Seraphim consistently strove to preserve the spiritual and canonical unity of Church life in the entrusted to him by Metropolitan Sergius of the diocese. The result of Vladyka Seraphim’s efforts to overcome the “Josephian” schism in the Leningrad diocese was the significant fact that in 1933, the last year of his stay at the Leningrad cathedra, only 2 officially registered “Josephite” parish churches remained in the diocese. Of course, like the parishes that remained faithful to St. Seraphim, many “Josephite” parishes were closed by order of the state authorities, and yet a significant part of them were returned to prayer-canonical communion with the Moscow Patriarchate by St. Seraphim.

During the years of Vladyka Seraphim's service in the Leningrad diocese, his archpastoral authority constantly increased. Expressive evidence of this was the creation by Orthodox Christians of the city in September 1930 of the "Society of Metropolitan Seraphim" at the Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral.

But no matter how self-sacrificing Vladyka Seraphim's work as a diocesan bishop was, he could not in everything resist the sharp increase in the whole country in the early 1930s. repressive state policy towards the Russian Orthodox Church. In the Leningrad diocese, as well as throughout the country, at that time the best representatives of the Orthodox clergy were arrested, and parish churches were systematically closed, and St. Seraphim tried to do at least what was in his power in these difficult conditions. Thus, after the closure of the Isidore Church in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in 1931, the saint, having applied to the state authorities, was able to achieve the reburial at the cemetery of the Lavra of the remains of his two predecessors at the St.

However, two years earlier, Saint Seraphim happened to take part in the burial of yet another bishop, who was not connected by his archpastoral service with the Petersburg diocese, but who was destined to be connected with Vladyka Seraphim himself by the common ties of confessional service and martyrdom. On December 28, 1929, one of the most prominent church hierarchs of the 20th century, Archbishop Illarion (Troitsky) of Vereya, died of typhus in the Leningrad prison hospital, whose body was handed over to relatives in a roughly knocked-up coffin. Taking upon himself the organization of the funeral and burial of St. Hilarion, Vladyka Seraphim saw in the coffin an emaciated prisoner, into whom Archbishop Hilarion's 6-year imprisonment had turned, so reminiscent of his noble appearance of St. Seraphim at the beginning of his hierarchal service. Having dressed Saint Hilarion in his own white episcopal robes and placing his miter on his head, Vladyka Seraphim, concelebrated by six bishops, solemnly buried the confessor and buried him next to his residence in the cemetery of the Novodevichy Convent. Giving his episcopal vestments to the late confessor Archbishop Hilarion, Saint Seraphim seemed to foresee that he himself would not be destined to accept the episcopal burial according to the church rite, and that after his martyr's death, without vestments in the episcopal vestments, he would be thrown into a mass grave with many others. unknown victims of the executioners of the God-fighting state.

In 1933, having given all his strength to the Leningrad diocese, the 77-year-old Saint Seraphim was approaching the end of his archpastoral service as the ruling bishop. Vladyka's bodily infirmities and the ever-increasing hatred towards him of the state authorities in Leningrad, which made it very likely that St. Seraphim would soon be arrested, prompted Metropolitan Sergius and the Provisional Patriarchal Holy Synod on October 14, 1933, to issue a decree on the dismissal of Vladyka into retirement. On October 24, having served the Divine Liturgy in the church of his youth - the Transfiguration Cathedral - Saint Seraphim forever left his native city, in which he became a deeply believing Orthodox layman, and to whom he gave his last archpastoral powers during the most difficult period for the church life of the city as an Orthodox saint. The providence of God again gave his faithful servant several years of peace, so that Saint Seraphim could prepare for his last, most important church service - martyrdom for Christ.

After returning to Moscow and briefly living in the residence of Metropolitan Sergius on Baumanovskiy Lane, in 1934 Saint Seraphim found his last refuge in two rooms of a country dacha, located not far from the Udelnaya station of the Kazan railway.

Here, in the silence of the village, in spiritual reflections on the theological and ascetic writings that accompanied the saint throughout his life, in prayerful vigils in front of the icons dear to him, Vladyka Seraphim had the happy opportunity to sum up the last life results and prepare himself for a meeting with Christ the Savior, the Divine The face of which the saint contemplated on the large image of the Savior in a white chiton painted by him. Currently, this image is in the temple of Elijah the Ordinary.

However, all this time Saint Seraphim was by no means alone: ​​next to him were his two faithful cell-attendants, the nuns of the Resurrection Feodorovsky Monastery, Vera and Sevastiana, who had accompanied Vladyka with the blessing of their abbess Arsenia for more than 7 years, around him were his numerous spiritual children, whom Saint Seraphim provided paternal care throughout his forty years of pastoral and archpastoral service and, of course, his daughters were with him, two of whom were destined to become monks. Often, representatives of the church hierarchy also visited Vladyka Seraphim, especially Metropolitan Alexy (Simansky) and Arseniy (Stadnitsky), who discussed with the saint, highly experienced in matters of church administration, seemingly insoluble questions that arose before the Holy Synod at this difficult time for the Church.

Metropolitan Seraphim in the Resurrection Feodorovsky Monastery, near the town of Shuya. Photo 1928

Vladyka Seraphim, more clearly than many of his contemporaries, realized the catastrophic nature of the epoch for the Russian Orthodox Church and foresaw that the measure of redemptive suffering prepared for Orthodox Christians in Russia had not yet been fulfilled, but deep faith in the inevitable and immutable triumph of the Orthodox Church never left the saint. It was during these years, which seemed hopeless to many, that St. Seraphim exhorted his spiritual children with such truly prophetic words, both in relation to the fate of the Russian Orthodox Church and in relation to his own fate, with the words: “The Orthodox Church is now going through a time of trials. then he will now remain faithful to the holy apostolic Church - he will be saved. Many are now departing from the Church because of persecution, others are even betraying it. But it is well known from history that there were persecutions before, but they all ended in the triumph of Christianity. So it will be with this persecution. It will end, and Orthodoxy will triumph again. Now many are suffering for the faith, but this is gold being refined in the spiritual crucible of trials. After that, there will be as many holy martyrs who suffered for the faith of Christ as the entire history of Christianity does not remember.”

The clearer and firmer, wiser and more perspicacious the spirit of Saint Seraphim became, the weaker his body became. The hypertension that had been developing for many years was joined by a heart disease that caused dropsy, as a result of which Vladyka almost lost the ability to move, and almost never left the house. Increasingly, only church hymns, sung by him on the harmonium, resounding in the evenings in the rural silence from the house of St. these terrible years, he lived and suffered in tormented Russia.

As for many other New Martyrs of the Russian Orthodox Church, the last feature of the earthly existence of St. Seraphim was bloodily outlined in 1937, which marked the beginning of a five-year period of mass destruction of Orthodox Christians incomparable in world Christian history. However, even in this series of many tens of thousands of martyrdoms, the death of Vladyka Seraphim turned out to be filled with special ascetic greatness and dignity. Arrested by the NKVD in November 1937, the bedridden 82-year-old saint was taken out of the house on a stretcher and taken to the Taganka prison because of the impossibility of transporting him in the prisoner's car in an ambulance. The terrible death of Vladyka Seraphim was already a foregone conclusion, but the satanic spirit, which inspired the bloody deeds of the executioners of the God-fighting power, moved them to force Orthodox Christians to renounce, if not directly from Christ, then from their Christian moral dignity, recognizing the most unthinkable accusations , which were ingeniously imposed on them by their torturers during the investigation. For several weeks, the physically helpless, dying elder, with the grandeur of a Christian first martyr, resisted the new persecutors of the Church, and did not admit any of the accusations that were imposed on him. On December 7, 1937, the Troika of the NKVD in the Moscow Region, which had already passed several dozen death sentences that day, adopted a resolution on the execution of Metropolitan Seraphim. Nearly 50 sufferers sentenced to death were shot over the course of several days in the village of Butovo, not far from Moscow, in which an oak grove surrounded by a blank fence was to become an unnamed cemetery for many thousands of victims of communist terror. On December 11, 1937, the Hieromartyr Seraphim was also shot with the last group of those condemned.

Shortly before his death, the spiritual father of St. Seraphim, St. Righteous John of Kronstadt, blessing his spiritual son for the last time, uttered a word that predetermined the entire future holy martyr service of Vladyka Seraphim. “I can die in peace, knowing that you and Reverend Hermogenes will continue my work, will fight for Orthodoxy, for which I bless you.” Both saints fully fulfilled the blessing of their spiritual father, although unlike Saint Hermogenes, who was already martyred on June 29, 1918, Hieromartyr Seraphim came to his martyr's death on December 11, 1937, after 20 years of confessional archpastoral service. Many Russian Orthodox Christians were destined to walk together with Hieromartyr Seraphim along the Calvary path of Christian martyrdom, on which the Orthodox Church was once erected and from now on and forever will stand in the world below, having in the world above in the host of its holy intercessors and intercessors before the Throne of the Most High Hieromartyr Metropolitan Seraphim.

Information taken from the site http://krotov.info/history/19/1890_10_2/1856_chichagov.htm

Saint Seraphim (in the world Leonid Mikhailovich Chichagov) was born on January 9, 1856 in St. Petersburg, into the family of artillery colonel Mikhail Nikiforovich Chichagov and his wife Maria Nikolaevna. The family of the saint belonged to one of the most famous noble families of the Kostroma province, from which came the famous navigator, explorer of the Arctic Ocean, Admiral V. Ya. Chichagov and the Russian Minister of Marine Admiral P. V. Chichagov.

After graduating from the Imperial Corps of Pages, Leonid Mikhailovich participated in the Balkan War of 1876-77. Being a participant in almost all the main events of this bloody war, L. M. Chichagov, promoted to the guard lieutenant on the battlefield and awarded several military awards, repeatedly showed high personal heroism. God's Providence, which saved Lieutenant L.M. Chichagov from death and injury on the battlefield, led him shortly after returning to St. Petersburg in 1878 to meet with the great pastor of the Russian Orthodox Church, St. John of Kronstadt. From that time on, the saint made his most important life decisions only with his blessing.

On April 8, 1879, L. M. Chichagov married the daughter of the Chamberlain of the Court of His Imperial Majesty Natalia Nikolaevna Dokhturova. Bearing in mind that Christian marriage is, first of all, a small Church, in which it is not pleasing each other, and even more so the prejudices of the big world, but pleasing God is the basis of family happiness, L. M. Chichagov managed to bring into the way of his young family the beginnings of the traditional Orthodox piety.

The military career of L. M. Chichagov continued to develop successfully in peacetime. As a recognized specialist in artillery, he was sent to maneuver the French army, and upon his return to Russia, he published the military-theoretical work “French Artillery in 1882”, which was important for the rearmament of the Russian army at that time.

Having learned in the war to deeply empathize with the physical suffering of wounded soldiers, L. M. Chichagov set himself the task of mastering medical knowledge in order to help his fellow men. The result of his many years of medical experiments was the system he developed and tested in practice for treating the body with herbal medicines, set out in two volumes of Medical Conversations.

The providence of God steadily led L. M. Chichagov to the decision, prepared by all his previous development, to accept the priesthood. After his retirement, the family of L. M. Chichagov moved to Moscow in 1891. . In Moscow, Leonid Mikhailovich settled on Ostozhenka in house number 37. This mansion with white columns has survived to this day. I.S. Turgenev once lived in it, who wrote the novels “First Love” and “Mumu” ​​here.

Here, under the shadow of the Moscow shrines, he began to reverently prepare for the adoption of the priesthood. The one-and-a-half-year period of inspired prayerful reflections and languishing worldly expectations was destined to end on February 26, 1893, when L. M. Chichagov was ordained a deacon in the Moscow Synodal Church of the Twelve Apostles. The presbyter's ordination followed 2 days later on February 28 in the same church with a significant gathering of worshipers, among whom the rumor quickly spread about the unusual fate of this protege.

Father Leonid's daughters with governesses and their friend (with a doll on the right). Mid 1890s

The trials of the first year of the priestly ministry of Father Leonid were aggravated by the unexpected serious illness of his wife. She died untimely in 1895. Father Leonid buried her in Diveevo at the monastery cemetery.

One of the most important obediences in his life, Father Leonid considered compiling the Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery, which revealed to him not only the history of one of the most remarkable monastic cloisters of the Russian Orthodox Church, but also the monastic deeds of one of the greatest ascetics of Holy Russia - the Monk Seraphim of Sarov.

Father Leonid described the birth of the idea of ​​compiling this chronicle as follows. “When, after a rather long state service, I became a priest in a small church behind the Rumyantsev Museum, I wanted to go to the Sarov Hermitage, the place of the deeds of St. Seraphim. I spent several days there in prayer and visited all the places where St. Seraphim labored. From there I moved to the Diveevo Monastery, where I really liked it and much reminded me of St. Seraphim, who cared so much for the Diveevo sisters. The abbess received me very cordially, talked to me a lot and, by the way, said that three people live in the monastery who remember the Monk: two old nuns and the nun Pelagia (in the world of Paraskeva, Pasha) ... I was taken to the house where she lived Pasha. As soon as I entered her, Pasha, who was lying in bed (she was very old and sick), exclaimed: “It’s good that you came, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time: the Monk Seraphim ordered you to tell you to report to the Sovereign that the time has come the discovery of his relics, glorification. I answered Pasha that, due to my social position, I could not be accepted by the Sovereign and convey to him what she entrusted me ... To this, Pasha said: “I don’t know anything, I only conveyed what the Reverend commanded me.” Soon I left the Diveevsky Monastery and, returning to Moscow, involuntarily pondered the words of Pasha ... and suddenly one day I was pierced by the thought that it was possible to write down everything that the nuns who remembered him told about St. Seraphim, find other persons from the contemporaries of the monk and ask them about him , get acquainted with the archives of the Sarov Hermitage and the Diveevsky Monastery and borrow from there everything that relates to the life of the Reverend and the period following the death. Bring all this material into a system and chronological order, then print this work, based not only on memoirs, but also on factual data and documents that give a complete picture of the life and exploits of the Monk Seraphim and his significance for the religious life of the people, print and present to the Emperor than and the will of the Reverend, transmitted to me in a categorical form by Pasha, will be fulfilled. This decision was further supported by the consideration that the royal family, gathering for evening tea, read aloud books of theological content, and I hoped that my book would be read. Thus, the idea of ​​the Chronicle was born.

The spring of 1898 was the time when Father Leonid made the final decision about his future fate. Leaving his four daughters in the care of several trustees, on April 30, 1898, Father Leonid received his resignation from the Presbyter of the military and naval clergy and in the summer of that year was enrolled in the brethren of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Of particular importance for the newly tonsured hieromonk was the naming of him at the vows in the mantle on August 14, 1898, the name "Seraphim".

On August 14, 1899, by decree of the Holy Synod, he was appointed rector of the Suzdal Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery with the elevation to the rank of archimandrite. The abbot at the Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery was another glorious and at the same time full of great life difficulties page of St. Seraphim's church service. Having shown the firmness of a church administrator, the practicality of a zealous host, and the paternal love of a true pastor, Archimandrite Seraphim managed to transform both the economic and spiritual life of the once majestic, but fallen into decay, monastery during the five years of his abbess.

During this period of his life, he had a wonderful vision, about which he told: “After finishing the Chronicle, I sat in my room in one of the Diveyevo buildings and rejoiced that I had finally finished the most difficult period of collecting and writing about the Monk Seraphim. At that moment, the Monk Seraphim entered the cell, and I saw him as if alive. I never thought for a moment that this was a vision - everything was so simple and real. But what was my surprise when Father Seraphim bowed to my waist and said: “Thank you for the chronicle. Ask me whatever you want for her." With these words, he came close to me and put his hand on my shoulder. I clung to him and said: “Father, dear, I am so happy now that I don’t want anything else but to always be near you.” Father Seraphim smiled in agreement and became invisible. Only then did I realize that it was a vision. There was no end to my joy."

Constantly feeling the spiritual support of the Monk, Archimandrite Seraphim decided to take what seemed to some of his brothers in the clergy an audacious step in order to finally raise the question of the canonization of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov in the Holy Synod.

Metropolitan Seraphim presenting the Chronicle to Tsar Nicholas

At the insistence of the Sovereign in August 1902, a commission headed by Metropolitan Vladimir (Bogoyavlensky) of Moscow, which included Archimandrite Seraphim, carried out a preliminary examination of the relics of St. Seraphim. On November 29, 1902, by the Highest command, “the management of all preparatory measures for the construction of premises for the shelter of that mass of pilgrims, which, in all likelihood, will rush to the place of glorification” was entrusted to Father Seraphim”; he had to take on most of the organizational and economic activities associated with the canonization of the Reverend.

In October 1902, the Sovereign sent as a gift to the Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery a lampada to the icon of the Mother of God "Tenderness" located in the Trinity Cathedral, in front of which Father Seraphim died in prayer. The lampada, at the command of His Majesty, was delivered to the monastery by Archimandrite Seraphim. On Sunday, October 20, after the celebration of the Divine Liturgy in the cathedral church, Fr. Seraphim solemnly placed a lamp before the image of the Mother of God and lit it to the great joy of the sisters.

On January 29, 1903, the solemn opening of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov took place. The Holy Synod adopted the act, on the basis of which the Sarov elder Seraphim was ranked among the saints of the Russian Orthodox Church. On July 17-19, 1903, celebrations took place in Sarov connected with the canonization of St. Seraphim of Sarov.

By the providence of God, Father Seraphim was prepared for a new church service. On April 28, 1905, in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, he was consecrated Bishop of Sukhumi. From that time until the end of his days, the hierarchical service for Saint Seraphim turned out to be inextricably linked with the courageous stand for the purity of the Orthodox Faith and the unity of the Russian Church, which the Hieromartyr Seraphim, being the successor of the military glory of his valiant ancestors, already carried out as a soldier of Christ on the field of spiritual battle .

On February 6, 1906, Saint Seraphim was sent to the Oryol cathedra, where he was to prove himself as a zealous organizer of diocesan life. It was at the Oryol cathedra that Saint Seraphim came to the conviction, which became decisive for all his further archpastoral activity, that the full-blooded development of diocesan life is possible only on the basis of active parish communities.

After the Oryol see, the Holy Synod entrusted St. Seraphim with the administration of the diocese, in which church affairs were in an even more difficult situation, and on September 16, 1908, a decree was adopted appointing him to the Kishinev see. Again, as had already happened more than once in the life of St. Seraphim, having successfully begun another church act, he did not have the opportunity to directly participate in its completion. The three-year creative activity of St. Seraphim at the Kishinev see not only led to a genuine transformation of the diocese, but also received the highest appreciation both in the Holy Synod and the Sovereign.

Archbishop Seraphim (Chichagov). 1912

In 1912, the ministry of Archbishop Seraphim at the Kishinev see was coming to an end, he received a new appointment - to the Tver see.

When in the March days of 1917 the abdication of the Sovereign called into question the very existence of the monarchy, and the Holy Synod considered it necessary to support the Provisional Government as the only legitimate body of supreme power in the country, St. Seraphim, continuing to obey the highest church and state authorities, did not hide his negative attitude to the changes that have taken place in Russia. December 28, 1917. The religious department of the Tver Provincial Executive Committee of the Council of Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Deputies issued an order to expel Archbishop Seraphim from the Tver Governorate. Desiring to save the saint from the outrageous reprisals of the Bolsheviks, His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon appointed Vladyka Seraphim to the Warsaw and Privislensky cathedra, located on the territory free from the power of the Bolsheviks in Poland. But the growing civil war and the subsequent Soviet-Polish war made it physically impossible for Vladyka Seraphim to leave for the diocese entrusted to him, and until the end of 1920 the saint remained outside it. In the spring of 1921, the VChK authorities accused Bishop Seraphim of being in Poland "as an emissary of the Russian patriarchy" he would "coordinate - against the Russian working masses - abroad the front of the overthrown Russian landowners and capitalists under the flag of" the squad of friends of Jesus ". On September 21, 1921, he was arrested and placed in the Taganka prison. A few months later he was released and sent to two "at the disposal of the Arkhangelsk provincial department for moving into a place of residence, as an administrative exile for a period of June 24, 1923."

After spending about a year in exile in Arkhangelsk, Saint Seraphim returned to Moscow, which, in connection with His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon's being under arrest and the Renovationists' temporary seizure of the highest church administration, was going through a period of internal turmoil. On April 16, 1924, he was again arrested by the GPU, who this time charged him with organizing the glorification of St. Seraphim of Sarov. The investigation of St. Seraphim had already been going on for about a month, when in May 1924 His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon filed a petition with the OGPU for the release of the 68-year-old Vladyka. Vladyka Seraphim was released, but demanded to leave Moscow. He was received by Abbess Arsenia (Dobronravova) at the Resurrection Feodorovsky Monastery, located near Shuya. For several years, this monastery was destined to become his last quiet monastic refuge.

At the end of 1927, Vladyka Seraphim left the monastery that had given him hospitable shelter to take part in the activities of the Provisional Patriarchal Holy Synod. The support of such an authoritative church hierarch, known for his firmness and uncompromisingness, as St. Seraphim was, was extremely important for Metropolitan Sergius. It is significant that the metropolitan see, to which Vladyka Seraphim was appointed by the decree of the Deputy Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Sergius and the Provisional Patriarchal Synod of February 23, 1928, was located in the Leningrad diocese, from where Metropolitan Sergius was most loudly reproached for his loyal attitude to the Soviet authorities.

In the conditions of cruel and comprehensive restrictions on church life by the state authorities, Vladyka Seraphim based his archpastoral service on the reverent celebration of Sunday and holiday services and inspired preaching in city and suburban churches. To resolve one of the most important tasks of his diocesan ministry - overcoming the "Josephite" schism, St. Seraphim set about gradually, explaining in his sermons the danger of this division for the canonical unity of the persecuted Russian Orthodox Church and entering into negotiations with some leading representatives of the "Josephite" clergy. On April 1, 1928, Vladyka Seraphim blessed in all the parish churches of the city to make a special prayer for the pacification of the Church.

Throughout his stay in the Leningrad diocese, courageously overcoming all sorts of obstacles and threats emanating from state bodies, and humbly enduring the blasphemy and slander spread from among the supporters of Metropolitan Joseph, Saint Seraphim consistently strove to preserve the spiritual and canonical unity of church life in the entrusted to him by Metropolitan Sergius diocese. By the end of his tenure at the Leningrad cathedra, only two officially registered "Josephite" parish churches remained in the diocese.

By 1933, bodily infirmities and the ever-increasing hatred of the state authorities in Leningrad for him, which made it very likely that St. Seraphim would soon be arrested, prompted Metropolitan Sergius and the Provisional Patriarchal Holy Synod on October 14, 1933, to issue a decree on his retirement. On October 24, having served the Divine Liturgy in the church of his youth - the Transfiguration Cathedral - Saint Seraphim forever left his native city, in which he became a deeply believing Orthodox layman and to whom he gave his last strength as an Orthodox during the most difficult period for the church life of the city. saint.

He found his last refuge in two rooms of a country cottage, located not far from the Udelnaya station of the Kazan railway. Here, in the silence of the village, in spiritual reflections on the theological and ascetic writings that accompanied the saint throughout his life, in prayerful vigils in front of the icons dear to him, Vladyka Seraphim had the happy opportunity to sum up the last life results and prepare himself for a meeting with Christ the Savior.

In November 1937, the bedridden 82-year-old saint was carried out of the house on a stretcher and taken to the Taganka prison. On December 11, 1937, he was shot at the Butovo training ground.

Hieromartyr Seraphim Chichagov was canonized by the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church on February 18/23, 1997.

(The text is taken from the book "Lives of the Saints, New Martyrs and Confessors of the Nizhny Novgorod Land", the authors are Archimandrite Tikhon (Zatekin), O.V. Degteva).

Already in the summer of 1876, she brought Guards Lieutenant L. M. Chichagov to the active army in the Balkans and at the same time became a serious life test for the future saint. Being a participant in almost all the main events of this bloody war, L.M. Chichagov, who was made on the battlefield in the guard lieutenant and marked with several military awards, repeatedly (as, for example, was the case when crossing the Balkans and in the battle of Philippopolis) showed high personal heroism . However, not the heroism of the war and not even the mission of the Russian army, which liberated the Orthodox Slavic peoples from Turkish rule, the description of which was later devoted to the "Diary of the Tsar-Liberator's Stay in the Danube Army in 1877" and a number of other remarkable historical and literary works of the future saint, became the main topics of reflection of the young officer during this period. The theme of the spiritual meaning of life and death, deeply felt for the first time by the youth Leonid after the untimely death of his father and put before him in all sharpness by the war, the theme of the moral meaning of suffering and selflessness, revealed to him in the exploits of Russian soldiers who believed their souls for Slavic brothers, finally , the theme of active love for his brothers in Christ, whom he taught to distinguish both under officer uniforms and under soldier's overcoats, after the war became the most important motivating principles for deep religious reflections of the future saint.

Divine Providence, which saved Lieutenant L. M. Chichagov from death and injury on the battlefield, led him shortly after returning to St. Petersburg in the city to meet with the great shepherd St. Righteous John of Kronstadt, who resolved many spiritual issues of the young officer and became for all subsequent years an indisputable spiritual authority for the future saint, who from that time made many of his most important life decisions only with the blessing of St. Righteous John of Kronstadt.

An important event that marked the further spiritual development of 23-year-old L. M. Chichagov was his marriage on April 8 to the daughter of the chamberlain of the Court of His Imperial Majesty Natalia Nikolaevna Dokhturova. From the very beginning, this brilliant marriage, which gave birth to representatives of two well-known aristocratic families (Natalia Nikolaevna was the great-niece of the hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, General D. S. Dokhturov), turned out to be very different from many high society marriages. Bearing in mind that Christian marriage is, first of all, a small Church, in which it is not pleasing each other, and even more so the prejudices of the big world, but pleasing God is the basis of family happiness, L. M. Chichagov managed to bring into the way of his young family the beginnings of the traditional Orthodox piety. It was these principles that formed the basis for the upbringing of the four daughters Vera, Natalia, Leonida and Ekaterina, who were born in the Chichagov family. The military career of L. M. Chichagov continued to develop successfully in peacetime. Having received the rank of guard captain in April, L. M. Chichagov, as a recognized specialist in artillery, was sent to the maneuvers of the French army, where he was presented for awarding the highest order of the French Republic with the Cavalier Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honor. Returning to Russia and publishing the military-theoretical work "French Artillery in 1882", important for the rearmament of the Russian army at that time, Staff Captain L. M. Chichagov could count on further promotion through the steps of the military hierarchy ...

However, the desire to turn all the forces of his gifted personality to the service of God and neighbors outside the sphere of military service more and more manifested itself in the life of L. M. Chichagov during this period of time. Being an aristocratically integral and Christian sacrificial nature, L. M. Chichagov strove to carry out this ministry in concrete deeds addressed directly to God and neighbors. On October 31, having assumed the duties of the patron of the Sergievsky Cathedral of the entire Artillery in St. Petersburg, Staff Captain L. M. Chichagov made great efforts not only to equip this temple, but also to develop an active spiritual and educational parish, which took care of thousands of Russian soldiers.

Having learned in the war to deeply empathize with the physical suffering of wounded soldiers, L. M. Chichagov set himself the task of mastering medical knowledge in order to help his fellow men. Subsequently, a significant result of many years of medical experiments by L. M. Chichagov was the system he developed and tested in practice for treating the body with herbal medicines, the presentation of which took two volumes of the fundamental work "Medical Conversations".

At the same time, systematic theological studies entered his life, as a result of which an officer who did not even receive a seminary education would turn into an encyclopedically educated theologian, whose authority would eventually be recognized by the entire Russian Orthodox Church. The providence of God steadily led L. M. Chichagov to the decision prepared by all his previous development to accept the priesthood, having carried out which, he received the opportunity not only to fully fulfill the will of God, revealed to him then still secretly, but also to realize for the benefit of the Church the many-sided abilities of his extraordinary personality.

For the sake of serving the Lord and on the advice of St. John of Kronstadt (whose spiritual son he was for many years) gave up a brilliant military career and in the year retired with the rank of colonel and moved to Moscow.

Priest

He deeply honored the memory of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov. Once, having decided to go to the places of exploits of St. Seraphim of Sarov, where he met with one of the three nuns who remembered the elder. The already old and sick old woman Pelageya Ivanovna, rejoiced at the arrival of the future metropolitan, saying: “It’s good that you have come, I have been waiting for you for a long time. St. Seraphim ordered you to convey that the time has come for the discovery of his relics and glorification.” In bewilderment, the future saint replied that, due to his social position, he could not be accepted by the Sovereign, she answered: “I don’t know anything, I convey only what the Reverend commanded me.” After some time, Seraphim (Chichagov) began work on the Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery. By the time this work was completed, the author was already an archimandrite. Soon he managed to meet with the Sovereign and, offering him a book, managed to convince the Tsar of the need to open the relics of the saint.

Despite the difficulties, the future saint still managed to achieve the canonization of the saint. He also wrote an akathist to Seraphim of Sarov and a brief life of him.

Hieromonk

However, the hopes of St. Seraphim that his long-term stay in the diocese of Oryol, which he loved so much, would make it possible to carry out his plans for the revival of church life in it, was not destined to come true. The Holy Synod considered it necessary to entrust St. Seraphim with the management of the diocese, in which church affairs were in an even more difficult situation than it was in the Oryol diocese by the time Bishop Seraphim arrived there, and on September 16, a decree was adopted appointing him to the Kishinev see. Again, as had already happened more than once in the life of St. Seraphim, having successfully begun another church act, he did not have the opportunity to directly participate in its completion.

Bishop of Kishinev

Arrest and exile in Arkhangelsk

Immediately after his arrest, Natalya and Ekaterina Chichagov began to petition Kalinin to mitigate the fate of their father. They asked the authorities to release him, or at least keep him imprisoned in Moscow, given his age and illness. Kalinin wrote that he could be left in a Moscow prison "for about half a year." On January 13, the head of the 6th secret department of the Cheka, Rutkovsky, on the orders of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, drew up a conclusion on the “case” of the metropolitan: “With the strengthening of the position of the revolutionary Soviet power in the conditions of the present, c. Chichagov is powerless to do anything tangibly hostile against the RSFSR. In addition, taking into account his senile age of 65 years, I believe that the decision on expulsion for 2 years should be applied conditionally, releasing c. Chichagova L.M. out of custody." On January 14, the Presidium of the Cheka decided to release the Metropolitan from custody; On January 16, he was released. Throughout the winter, Vladyka was seriously ill.

However, the GPU did not at all intend to let him go free - and neither the age nor the illness of the saint mattered here, but only the goals of the institution itself. He was persecuted and exiled not because of illegal acts, but in an effort to inflict as much damage on the Church as possible. On April 22, Rutkovsky gave a new opinion on the “case” of the metropolitan: “Taking into account that Belavin, together with the Synod, is still pursuing a reactionary policy against the Soviet government and that in the presence of the well-known reactionary Chichagov in the Synod, the clergy loyal to the authorities do not dare to openly show their loyalty because of the fear of reprisals from Chichagov, as well as the fact that the main reason for the subsequent release of Chichagov from his punishment, allegedly an acute morbid condition, does not find an excuse after his release and does not in the least prevent Chichagov from dealing with the affairs of the administration of the clergy, I believe ... Chichagov Leonid Mikhailovich ... to detain and send in stages to the disposal of the Arkhangelsk provincial department for moving into a place of residence, as an administrative exile for a period of June 24.

On April 25, the judicial board of the GPU, chaired by Unshlikht, sentenced Metropolitan Seraphim to exile in the Arkhangelsk region.

At a time when other bishops hesitated in recognizing the canonicity of the authority of Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky), Metropolitan Seraphim recognized it immediately. He recognized Metropolitan Sergius as the only legitimate successor to the Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Peter, equal to him in his canonical powers, and supported his policy of advocating the official recognition of the Orthodox Church as state power. A man of order, accustomed to thinking in terms of a strict hierarchy, he considered the restoration of centralized power to be the most important thing. In relation to the authorities, Vladyka adhered to the principle: "The law is harsh, but it is the law."

Significant help in the controversy begun with the "Josephite" schismatics was rendered to Saint Seraphim by Bishop Manuel (Lemeshevsky) of Serpukhov, who arrived in Leningrad at his invitation at the end of April. Deeply respected by many Orthodox Christians of the city for his selfless struggle against the Petrograd renovationists in the early 1920s. Bishop Manuel urged his many admirers, both among the flock of Vladyka Seraphim and among the "Josephites" to preserve church unity under the omophorion of Metropolitan Sergius. Of particular importance for the unity of church life in the city was the Divine Liturgy celebrated on April 29 by St. Seraphim in concelebration with Bishop Manuel at the Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral, at which both bishops, recalling the devastating consequences for the Church of the Renovationist schism in the Petrograd diocese, urged not to allow a new divisions among Orthodox Christians.

However, despite the return of some "Josephite" parishes to the jurisdiction of Metropolitan Sergius, the leaders of this movement were not inclined to restore church peace in the diocese and, as conditions for their return to the bosom of the Moscow Patriarchate, put forward demands unacceptable to Metropolitan Sergius, which implied a complete revision of church policy by him. and his renunciation of those powers in the field of higher church administration, which were assigned to him by the Patriarchal Locum Tenens, Metropolitan Peter. The irreconcilability of the leaders of the "Josephite" clergy compelled Saint Seraphim to take more decisive measures towards the schismatics. In an effort to preserve the Holy Trinity-Alexander Nevsky Lavra in canonical communion with Metropolitan Sergius, Vladyka Seraphim in May succeeded in removing Bishop Grigory (Lebedev) of Shlisselburg from the Lavra's deputies, who was becoming more and more close to the "Josephites". However, the latter, in November, went to organize a schism even among the Lavra clergy, as a result of which 5 out of 7 churches of the Lavra, despite the fact that most of their parishioners remained faithful to St. Seraphim, began to commemorate Metropolitan Joseph at the service.

Feeling the ever-increasing support of the majority of the city's Orthodox Christians and recognizing the need to act within the framework of Soviet legislation, Vladyka Seraphim urged his flock of laity to join the "twenty" "Josephite" churches and, achieving a "numerical majority" there, replace the "Josephite" clergy for the clergy who were in canonical communion with Metropolitan Sergius. The return of the “Josephian” parishes to him, which was outlined as a result of these actions of St. Seraphim, prompted the constant stressing of their independence from the godless power of the Josephites to turn to the help of the relevant state authorities in order to preserve parish churches for their supporters. Metropolitan Joseph, in their statement to the registration desk of the Volodarsky District Council, they wrote: “We bring to your attention that believers ... from November 1 of this year officially joined and entrenched themselves in the prayerful communion of our beliefs with Metropolitan Joseph in the person of Bishop Demetrius. Thus, they renounced the church authority of M. Sergius imposed on us. Attached, having notified you, 4 clergymen in a timely manner. In order to avoid possible craftiness on the part of M. Seraphim (Chichagov), we ask you to leave the number of twenty as practiced until now. "

Thus, the anti-church nature of any canonical schism forced the "Josephites" sincere in their Orthodox faith to follow in the footsteps of the Renovationists, who often trampled on the foundations of the Orthodox faith in search of the patronage of the theomachy power, and Vladyka Seraphim, who cared about the unity of Orthodox Church life, again became more and more objectionable to the Bolshevik authorities, who sought to use even so alien to them "Josephites" for the destruction of church life.

The result of Vladyka Seraphim’s efforts to overcome the “Josephian” schism in the Leningrad diocese was the significant fact that in the year, the last year of his tenure at the Leningrad cathedra, only 2 officially registered “Josephite” parish churches remained in the diocese. Of course, like parishes that remained faithful to St. Seraphim, many "Josephite" parishes were closed by order of the state authorities, and yet a significant part of them were returned to prayer-canonical communion with the Moscow Patriarchate by St. Seraphim.

During the years of Vladyka Seraphim's service in the Leningrad diocese, his archpastoral authority constantly increased. Expressive evidence of this was the creation by Orthodox Christians of the city in September of the "Society of Metropolitan Seraphim" at the Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral.

Having tasted the bitterness of bonds and exile himself, he buried Archbishop Hilarion (Troitsky), who had died in prison, with love and reverence. His body was handed over to relatives in a roughly knocked together coffin. When the coffin was opened, no one recognized Vladyka, so his appearance had changed due to imprisonment and illness. Vladyka Seraphim brought his white vestment and white miter. After dressing, the body of the archbishop was placed in another coffin. The funeral service was performed by Metropolitan Seraphim himself, co-served by six bishops and a multitude of clergy.

at rest

On December 7, by the decision of the troika at the UNKVD of the USSR for the Ministry of Defense, on charges of involvement in a "counter-revolutionary monarchist organization," he was sentenced to capital punishment - execution.

Canonized on February 23 by the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow.

In the Tver diocese there is a church in honor of the Hieromartyr Metropolitan Seraphim Chichagov. This is a small church in the village of Dubrovka, Bologovsky district, Tver region, built in the year.

Spiritual writer. An energetic and eloquent preacher. With rare energy, he took care of strengthening the strict order based on the unshakable foundations of Orthodoxy, the revival of parishes, and the organization of the life of the Church. His living powerful word was heard at every divine service. He was distinguished by vigorous, ideological activity and an ardent desire to raise the clergy to the proper height. Metropolitan Seraphim was a multi-talented person: musician, painter, writer, doctor. In the Moscow church in the name of the Prophet Elijah (in Ordinary Lane) there is an image of the Savior in a white tunic and an image of St. Seraphim praying on a stone, written by him.

Prayers

Troparion, tone 5:

The king of the king of heaven / Page Zemmanno Love, / Minister Family Holy Trinity appeared, / instructing a shepherd church in his heart, / given from God the diverse dating / to the benefits of the people of God ineumbing Esi, / teacher of piety / and champion of Church of Church / You were able to suffer even to the point of bloodshed, / Hieromartyr Seraphim, / pray to Christ God / / be saved to our souls.

Kontakion, tone 6:

The Sarov Wonderworker TesoMenitis Beser, / Warm Love for him, had, / written by your feats and wonders of the world, / returning to his glorification, ESIA / and thanks to visit / Samago Rev. Visited Esui. / Hisp Now, the Sacred Seraphim, / settling in Heavenly devils, / pray to Christ God / / seraphim joys to be a partaker for us.

Proceedings

• Pavel Vasilievich Chichagov and notes on the events of his life: Emperor Pavel
• French artillery in 1882
• Church of the Reverend and God-bearing Father of Our Sergius, Abbot of Radonezh, Wonderworker (in Krapivki, on the Truba) at the Patriarchal Metochion of Constantinople in Moscow. - M., 1884.
• Examples from the last war of 1877-1878. (8 editions published)
• Diary of the stay of the Tsar-Liberator in the Danube army in 1877 (4 editions were published)
• Chichagov // Archive of Admiral P. V. Chichagov.
• Pavel Vasilyevich Chichagov and his notes
• Note by Admiral Pavel Vasilyevich Chichagov, the first naval minister in time.
• Medical conversations of L. M. Chichagov; Brief summary of L. M. Chichagov's medical conversations, published in 1891.
• Diary of the stay of the Tsar-Liberator in the Danube army
• Chronicle of the Serafimo-Diveevsky Monastery of the Nizhny Novgorod Province. Ardatovsky district: with a biography of its founders: schema-nun Alexandra, nee. A. S. Melgunova, and the Blessed Elder Hieromonk Seraphim and his staff: Mikhail Manturov, Archpriest Fr. Sadovsky, Blessed Pelageya Ivanovna Serebrennikova, Nikolai Alexandrovich Motovilov, associates of the monastery and others (4 editions were published);
• Summary of the “Chronicles of the Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery with a biography of the founders A. S. Melgunova and Fr. Seraphim of Sarov and the ascetics of the monastery.
• Seek first the Kingdom of God.
• 1. Rejoice, for I am with you all the days. 2. About serving God.
• 1. Word in Great Heel. 2. About mercy.
• Zosimova Hermitage in the name of the Smolensk Mother of God of the Vladimir Province. Aleksandrovsky Uyezd: Chronicle essay / Comp. Hieromonk Seraphim (L. M. Chichagov).
• Life of St. Seraphim, Sarov miracle worker
• Life of the ever-memorable elder Seraphim of Sarov. (2 editions published)
• Life of St. Euthymius, Hieroarchimandrite of Suzdal, miracle worker / on the day of the 500th anniversary of the death of St. Euthymius (2 editions were published)
• Annual report on the activities of parish councils in the Oryol diocese, 1906
• Speech by His Grace Bishop Seraphim at a Solemn Meeting of Members of the Bessarabian Provincial Department of the Union of the Russian People.
• Words, conversations and speeches of the Right Reverend Seraphim (Chichagov), Bishop of Kishinev and Khotyn, with the diocesan chronicle and his orders.
• Farewell speech of His Grace Seraphim of the Oryol Diocese
• Word spoken by His Eminence, His Grace Seraphim, Bishop of Kishinev and Khotinsky on October 28 in the Cathedral upon entering into the administration of the Bessarabian diocese
• Farewell of the Most Reverend Seraphim with the Oryol flock and seeing him off.
• Venerable Seraphim, Sarov miracle worker, and the sacred places of his blessed asceticism: (From personal recollections).
• Annual report on the monitoring of law teaching and spiritual and moral education in zemstvo and ministerial schools of the Chisinau diocese.
• Appeal of His Grace Seraphim, Bishop of Chisinau, to the clergy of the diocese on the issue of the revival of parish life.
• Word of the Right Reverend Seraphim, Bishop of Chisinau, in the Novo-Nyametsky Monastery, on the feast day of the Dormition of the Mother of God. (2 editions published)
• The word of the Right Reverend Seraphim to the Volyn and Minsk regiments, at the celebration of the transfer of the St. George Trumpets on November 26.
• Word of the Right Reverend Seraphim for the New Year (1909).
• Word of the Right Reverend Seraphim before the memorial service on the fortieth day of the death of Father John of Kronstadt.
• The word delivered by His Grace Seraphim on December 21, before the prayer service in the cathedral and the blessing of the banners of the Union of the Russian People.
• Word of the Right Reverend Seraphim, Bishop of Chisinau, June 18, on the triumph of the glorification of the Blessed Grand Duchess Anna of Kashinskaya.
• Words and speeches of the Right Reverend Seraphim (Chichagov), now Bishop of Kishinev and Khotyn, uttered by him when he was his priest and archimandrite. From adj. comp. named after the Chronicle of the Zosima Desert and the Life of the Monk Euthymius, the Wonderworker of Suzdal.
• Instructions and orders of His Eminence Seraphim, Archbishop of Tver and Kashinsky in the Tver diocese.
• Oryol diocese in 1906-1908 under His Grace Bishop Seraphim (Chichagov). From adj. his speeches, lecture and letters.
• Appeal of His Eminence Seraphim, Archbishop of Tver and Kashinsky, to the clergy of the diocese on the issue of the revival of parish life.
• Appeal of His Eminence Seraphim, Archbishop of Tver and Kashinsky, to the monasteries of the Tver diocese regarding the decree of the Holy Synod of June 31, 1915
• 0 revival of parish life: Appeal to the clergy of the Tver diocese.
• Resolutions of His Eminence Seraphim, Archbishop of Tver and Kashinsky, to the Journals of the Diocesan Congress December 12-17, 1917
• Russian Orthodox Church. Report Dep. about monasteries and monasticism, about the general situation for monasteries and monastics in the Sacred Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.
• The Question of Faith: Conversation of the Right Reverend Seraphim, Bishop of Chisinau and Khotyn.
• The Four Destinies of the Mother of God on Earth... // Venerable Seraphim, Sarov miracle worker. Diveevo mystery and predictions about the resurrection of Russia. - New York: Committee of Russian. Orthodox youth abroad, 1981.
• Sermons: On Innocent Suffering. On the struggle with the imagination. About demons
• From a letter from Father Seraphim to his spiritual son Alexei Belyaev. - Arkhangelsk, 1922: Document of the era
• Medical Conversations: Fragments // Med. gas. - 1990. - June 10. - P. 3. - Signature: L. M. Chichagov. - (Publ. V. V. Chernoy).
• Prayer book for the Russian land // Zhurn. Moscow Patriarchy. - 1990. - No. 12. - S. 66-69
• On unceasing prayer // Zhurn. Moscow Patriarchy. - 1990. - No. 9.
• About me // Med. gas. - 1990. - June 10. - P. 3 (Publ. V. V. Chernoy).
• On modern martyrdom // Zhurn. Moek Patriarchy. - 1990. - No. 10. - S. 38-39.
• What is the basis of spirituality? // Journal. Moscow Patriarchy. - 1990. - No. 9. - S. 70-75.
• What is the basis of every science?
• From the "Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery" // Zhurn. Moscow Patriarchy. - 1991. - No. 12. - S. 43-47.
• The death of the elder Seraphim // Moscow. church messenger. - 1991. - Jan. (No. 2). - S. 16.
• On the way to the crisis // Moscow. church messenger. - 1991. - Feb. (No. 3). - S. 7.
• A Word on Possession: (On the 23rd Week after Pentecost) // Moscow. - 1992. - No. 11-12. - S. 199-203.
• Word for the Nativity of Christ // Nikolo-Ugreshsky Bulletin. - 1992. - No. 5. - S. 2.
• Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov). About holy relics. (Abstract of the article, publ. with abbr.). - M.: City of Kitezh, 1992, No. 4 (9).
• May Your will be done. Sat. At 2 o'clock / comp. V. V. Chernaya-Chichagova. Part I. Seek the Kingdom of God. - 288 s; Part II. Ladder for prayers of faith.
• "Speech to His Grace Gabriel of Izmal on His Ordination". "Prib. to" TsV "1910, No. 51, p. 182.
• "Speech at the presentation of the baton to the newly appointed Bishop Zinovy" "Approx. to" TsV "1911, No. 51-52, p. 2238.
• Word on the day of the annexation of Bessarabia to Russia on May 16, 1912.

Awards

He was awarded more than 10 Russian and foreign orders:

1. For excellent courage and courage in dealings with the Turks near the mountainous Dubnyak and Telish on October 12 and 16, 1877, the Order of St. Anna, 4th degree, with the inscription "For Courage";
2. For affairs with the Turks on January 3, 4 and 5, 1878 under Philippopolis Order of St. Anne 3rd degree with swords and bows;
3. For excellent and diligent service with the Order of St. Anne, 2nd degree (1884);
4. For the organization of parish life in the Oryol diocese with the Order of St. Anna, 1st degree (1908);
5. For crossing the Balkans on December 13-19, 1877 with the Order of St. Stanislav 3rd degree with swords and bows;
6. For excellent, diligent and zealous service on August 30, 1881 with the Order of St. Stanislav, 2nd degree;
7. Light bronze medal in memory of the war of 77-78;
8. Granted the Cavalier Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honor of France (1882);
9. Montenegrin Order of Prince Daniel I, 4th degree (1882);
10. Romanian Iron Cross
11. Dark bronze medal on the Alexander ribbon in memory of the Holy Coronation of Their Imperial Majesties in the Assumption Cathedral on May 15, 1883;
12. Silver medal on St. Andrew's ribbon in memory of the Holy Coronation of Their Imperial Majesties on May 14, 1896;
13. Bulgarian Order of St. Alexander 3rd degree (1883);
14. Greek Order of Christ the Savior 2nd degree;
15. Bulgarian Order of St. Alexander "For Civil Merit" 2nd class with a pectoral cross.
16. For bravery during the siege and capture of Plevna, he was granted a saber with a dedicatory inscription from the Emperor.

Literature

1. His Eminence Seraphim, Bishop of Chisinau and Khotinsky // Chisinau, eparch. statements. - 1908. - No. 45, dep. unofficial - S. 1623-1626: portrait. - Without a signature; There. - No. 47, dep. not official. - S. 1703-1704. - Without a signature.
2. Arrival in Chisinau of the Right Reverend Seraphim, Bishop of Chisinau and Khotyn // Chisinau, eparch. statements. - 1908. - No. 46, dep. unofficial - S. 1667-1670. - Without a signature.
3. Welcoming speech to the Right Reverend Seraphim at his entry into the Cathedral, delivered by the Right Reverend Nikodim, Bishop of Akkerman // Chisinau, eparch. statements. - 1908. - No. 45, dep. unofficial - S. 1658-1662. - Without a signature; There. -1908. - No. 46, dep. unofficial - S. 1665-1667.
4. Visit of the Right Reverend Seraphim to the Solemn Meeting of the Members of the Bessarabian Provincial Department of the Union of the Russian People // Chisinau, eparch. statements. - 1908. - No. 47, dep. not official. - S. 1731-1739. - Without a signature.
5. Visit of the Right Reverend Seraphim to the local theological seminary // Chisinau, eparch. statements. - 1908. - No. 46, dep. not official. - S. 1670-1672. - Without a signature.
6. Todorovsky P.P. The Right Reverend Seraphim (in the world L.M. Chichagov) // Theologian, encyclopedia. - T. 10. - St. Petersburg, 1909. - S. 531-533.
7. Parkhomovich I. M. Brief essay on the life and work of His Eminence Seraphim (Chichagov), Archbishop of Kishinev and Khotinsky. - Chisinau, 1913.
8. Oryol diocese in 1906-1908 under His Grace Bishop Seraphim (Chichagov). - Chisinau, 1914.
9. Polsky M., prot. New Russian martyrs. T. I. Dzhor Danvill, 1949; T. II. New York, 1957, p. 138.
10. About Metropolitan Seraphim // Krasnov-Levitin A.E. Dashing years 1925-1941: Memoirs. - Paris, 1977. - S. 108.
11. Kvitnitsky-Ryzhov Yu. N. From the history of the popularization of medical knowledge in Russia. L. M. Chichagov and his “Medical Conversations” // Sov. healthcare. - 1984. - No. 8. - S. 66-70: portrait. Bibliography in subline note (40 titles).
12. Portrait of Seraphim (Chichagov), Metropolitan of Leningrad // Russian Orthodox Hierarchs, Confessors and Martyrs: Photo Album. - Paris YMCA-PRESS, 1986. - S. 67.
13. Chernaya V. V. Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov) // Zhurn. Moscow Patriarchy. - 1989. - No. 2. - S. 13-18: portr.
14. Safronova N. Bishop Seraphim: "It's hard to stop loving the world" // Med. gas. - 1990. - June 10. - p. 3.
15. The feat of life // Med. gas. - 1990. - June 10. - S. 3: portrait. - Without a signature.
16. Metropolitan - the hero of Plevna: (Excerpt from the book. A. E. Krasnova-Levitin "Dashing Years") // Mosk. church messenger. - 1991. - Oct. (No. 17) - S. 10-11: portrait. - Without a signature.
17. Chernaya V.V. Father Seraphim // Russian Bulletin. - 1991. - July 31 (No. 17). - S. 12: ill.
18. Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov) and his book "Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery" / Comp. V. V. Chernaya (Chichagova), A. N. Strizhev. - M.: City of Kitezh, 1992. - 32 p.: ill.
19. Chernaya VV Memories of Metropolitan Seraphim and his family // Moscow. - 1992. - No. 11-12. - S. 194-199.
20. Chernaya V. V. (Chichagova). Panikhida in Chisinau // City of Kitezh. - 1992. - No. 2 (7). - S. 19-20.
21. Zagorulko V. Lieutenant Chichagov exalted in spirit // Vech. Petersburg. - 1992. - July 21 (No. 168). - S. 3: portrait.
22. Nun Seraphim (Bulgakov). Diveevo legends: On the discovery of relics // The Fourth Destiny of the Virgin. - M., 1992. - 23.
23. About the author: Metropolitan Seraphim (Leonid Mikhailovich Chichagov) // Nikolo-Ugreshsky Bulletin. - 1992. - No. 5. - S. 2-3. - Without a signature.
24. Nilus S.A. On the banks of God's river. - Holy Trinity Lavra, 1992.-S. 16-18.
25. Chernaya V.V. Two Seraphim // Domostroy. - 1993. - 2 Feb. (No. 5).-S. thirteen.
26. Pitirim (Nechaev), Metropolitan The path becomes clearer // Thy will be done. - M.; SPb., 1993. - Part I. - S. 5-6.
27. Georgy (Tertyshnikov), archim. Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov) and his theological legacy // Thy will be done. Decree. ed. 4.1.-S. 7-17.
28. Chernaya V.V. Brief biography of Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov) // Thy will be done. Decree. ed. pp. 5-32. - Il. With. 33-48.
29. John (Snychev). Metropolitan Manuel (Lemeshevsky). - SPb., 1993.-S. 110.
30. Veniamin (Fedchenkov), Met. At the turn of two eras. - M.: Palomnik, 1994. - С144,146,150,412,413.
31. Veniamin (Fedchenkov), archbishop. Heaven on earth. - M.: Pilgrimage, 1994.-S. 10-11.
32. The life of the Optina elder Barsanuphius. - Vvedenskaya Opti on deserts, 1995. -S. 376.
33. Source of living water. Life op. St. rights. O. John of Kronstadt / Comp. N. and Bolshakov, reprint. - St. Petersburg: Tsarskoe Delo, 1995. - S. 773,789,792,794-796,804-805.
34. Damaskin (Orlovsky), Hierom. Martyrs, confessors and ascetics of piety Rus. Orthodox Churches of the 20th century. Biographies and materials for them. - Tver, 1996. - Book. 2. - S. 425-429.
35. The Life of the Hieromartyr Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagova). Synod. comis. Rus. Orthodox Churches for the canonization of saints. - St. Petersburg: Satis, 1997. - 112.
36. Chernaya V.V. Ordained in the Assumption Cathedral // Moscow genealogy. - M.: Veche, Russian world, 1998.
37. Moscow Novodevichy Convent. - M., 1999. - S. 89-93.
38. Word of Abbess Seraphim (Chichagova) // Word of Father Seraphim. Page "Letop. Seraf.-Diveev. mon." - Volgograd: Book, 1999.-S. 15-17.
39. “Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery” by Archimandrite Seraphim (Chichagov) and the glorification of Father Seraphim // Word of Father Seraphim. - Decree. ed. - S. 18-26.

(compiled by the granddaughter of the saint, Abbess Seraphim (Chernaya-Chichagova),
Mother Superior of the Theotokos-Smolensk Novodevichy Convent)

The middle of the past and the first half of our century are especially significant for the Russian Orthodox Church. And in these decades of troubles and torments, the Lord endowed her with many outstanding hierarchs, among whom was Metropolitan Seraphim (in the world Leonid Mikhailovich Chichagov). His life path was extraordinary and extremely interesting. He was a famous person in old Russia.

Leonid Mikhailovich Chichagov (1856 - 1937) came from an ancient aristocratic family: the great-grandson of the famous admiral V.Ya. Chichagov (1726-1809), one of the first explorers of the Arctic Ocean; grandson of P.V. Chichagov (1767-1849), Minister of Marine of Russia, a prominent participant in the Patriotic War of 1812. He studied first at the 1st St. Petersburg classical gymnasium, then at the Corps of Pages, the most privileged aristocratic educational institution in Russia at that time. At the end of the Corps of Pages in 1874. Leonid Mikhailovich was enrolled in the Guards Artillery Brigade of the Preobrazhensky Regiment.

His military career developed as follows: warrant officer (1874), second lieutenant (1876), lieutenant (1878), adjutant of Comrade His Imperial Majesty General Feldzeugmeister (1878), staff captain (1891), colonel (1891).

In 1877-1878, he participated in the Russian-Turkish campaign. For courage during the siege of Plevna and the capture of Telish, he was awarded by General Skobelev with a personal weapon.

Chichagov's knowledge and experience were valued. In 1881, as a highly qualified specialist in artillery, he was sent to Paris to maneuver the French troops. Was awarded orders and medals:

1. Romanian Iron Cross and a dark bronze medal on the Alexander Ribbon in memory of the Holy Coronation of Their Imperial Majesties in the Assumption Cathedral on May 15, 1883;
2. For affairs with the Turks on January 3, 4 and 5, 1877 under Philippopolis Order of St. Anne 3rd degree with swords and bows;
3. For crossing the Balkans on December 12, 1877 with the Order of St. Stanislaus 3rd degree with swords and bows;
4. For excellent courage and courage in dealings with the Turks near the mountainous Dubnyak and Telish on October 12 and 16, 1877, the Order of St. Anna, 4th degree, with the inscription "For Courage";
5. For excellent, diligent and zealous service on August 30, 1881 with the Order of St. Stanislav, 2nd degree;
6. Granted the cavalry cross of the Order of the French Legion of Honor (1882);
7. Light bronze medal in memory of the war of 77-78;
8. Montenegrin Order of Prince Daniel I, 4th degree (1882);
9. Bulgarian Order of St. Alexander 3rd degree (1883);
10. For excellent and diligent service with the Order of St. Anne, 2nd degree (1884);
11. Greek Order of Christ the Savior 2nd degree;
12. Silver medal on St. Andrew's ribbon in memory of the Holy Coronation of Their Imperial Majesties on May 14, 1896;
13. Bulgarian People's Order for Civil Merit 2nd class with a pectoral cross.

The highest permission followed for the adoption and wearing of orders 6, 8, 13.

Leonid Mikhailovich combined military service with historical and literary activities. During this period he wrote books:

• "Diary of the stay of the Tsar-Liberator in the Danube army in 1877" .The book was very popular and went through three editions. There are letters of thanks from members of the royal family for writing such a wonderful book. For this work, the portrait of L.M. Chichagov was placed for life in the National Museum in Sofia;
• "French artillery in 1882", unfortunately, only a small pamphlet has survived. It is known that the main work was regarded as an excellent study on French artillery, for which the author was awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor;
• The head of Chichagov in the book “Archive of Admiral P.V. Chichagov" 1885 (about his famous grandfather), published in the journal "Russian Antiquity for 1886 - 1888.
• "Examples from the last war of 1877-1878." 1 part. Tales of the exploits of soldiers Part II. Stories about the exploits of officers.

Work on the book "Diary of the stay of the Tsar-Liberator in the Danube army in 1877" prompted Chichagov to turn to Emperor Alexander III with a letter in which he proves the need to have a historiographer at court to compile the lifetime diaries of the reigning Emperor, which, in his opinion, would ensure the writing of true Russian history, since then it would be possible to talk about the continuity and connection of times and evaluate the activities of both the Emperor himself and his associates. The letter was read by Alexander III and approved.

In 1878, L.M. Chichagov met Father John of Kronstadt and became his spiritual son.

In 1879, Leonid Mikhailovich married Natalia Nikolaevna Dokhturova, the great-niece of D.S. Dokhturov, the hero of the Patriotic War of 1812.

Chichagov from childhood was distinguished by extraordinary religiosity, which was probably facilitated by early orphanhood. Having lost both of his parents as a child, he, in his words, "used to seek consolation in religion." While serving in the Preobrazhensky Regiment, Leonid Mikhailovich was the headman of the Preobrazhensky Cathedral in St. Petersburg and invested considerable funds in the church economy.

A military career did not satisfy L.M. Chichagov. And in 1891, to the great surprise of relatives and friends, he, being an adjutant to the Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich, retired with the rank of colonel, choosing a different path in life - the path of the priesthood. Leonid Mikhailovich moved with his family to Moscow and, preparing for the ordination, diligently studied theological sciences.

During these years, his attitude to the world finally took shape - the attitude of an Orthodox Christian.

The desire to help the suffering as much as possible led Leonid Mikhailovich to take up medicine, and so conscientiously that, having no special education, he nevertheless developed his own treatment system, created the fundamental work “Medical Conversations”, set out in 2 volumes, and wrote a book "Brief summary of medical conversations". The author pays special attention to the history of medicine, the rational principles of the centuries-old experience of traditional medicine. The work is striking in the abundance of cited material, which indicates the high erudition of the author. Chichagov not only retells the achievements known by that time, but also tries to put forward new theories. In his opinion, the main cause of human diseases are defects in the blood and circulation - "improper circulation is the motivating cause for all sorts of disorders." Medicines (of plant origin) prepared by him for patients were intended to affect the blood and circulation. The author gives extensive lists of medicinal plants used by him.

Particular attention of modern physicians is attracted by the laconic definition of the concept of "medicine", given by Leonid Mikhailovich: "medicine is the art of preventing and curing diseases." Interestingly, this work has not lost its significance even now. According to experts, it is one of the interesting historical and medical monuments of the late 19th century. L.M. Chichagov practiced widely in St. Petersburg. He himself put the number of his patients at 20,000.

Shortly before the publication of his “Medical Conversations”, L.M. Chichagov published a brochure of spiritual content “What is the basis of every science?”, Where in the preface he writes that “not all scientists will answer this question immediately and in the same way ... Meanwhile, the answer should have been everyone would have the same one, irrefutable already in its simplicity: religion is the basis ... Analyzing what the truth is, citing biblical sayings and gospel facts, I want to explain to everyone only the path that medicine should go for achievement of perfection and point to this path as the one that led me to the knowledge of medical truths. Having created a special system of treatment and applying it for many years with success in my practice, I would like to prove that medicine, as a science, is more necessary for people than others, as help and relief in their suffering, and more than any other science should be based on religion and find means in nature, created by the Creator himself for the benefit of mankind - not forgetting, however, that the doctor needs to keep in mind not only one diseased flesh, but try to look for the root of the disease in the spirit or soul of a person ... I feel strong and right, serving science , which is based on religion, and taking nature as an assistant, as well as setting myself the goal of the common benefit of suffering humanity, to which I devoted myself entirely.

Already in this pamphlet, which was published even before accepting the dignity, Leonid Mikhailovich expressed his desire for a theological understanding of reality, deep faith and a firm desire to consistently implement the teachings of Christ in life. This period of the life of Leonid Mikhailovich ends with the acceptance of the priesthood.

On February 28, 1893, L.M. Chichagov was ordained a priest in the Kremlin Assumption Cathedral and assigned to the Kremlin Synodal Church of the Twelve Apostles. And immediately energetically set about restoring this temple. By decree of His Imperial Majesty the Autocrat of All Russia to consider the proposal of the priest Fr. Leonid Chichagov The Synodal Sacristy was transferred to the premises of the World Chamber and it was allowed to make repairs in the Church of the Apostle Philip, for which, at the end of the work, Father Leonid was awarded a velvet skuf and a cuisse.

As a historiographer of the Tsar-Liberator and a participant in the war, he was invited to the celebrations on the occasion of the laying of the monument to Emperor Alexander II in the Moscow Kremlin in 1893.

In 1895, by order of the protopresbyter of the military and naval clergy, Fr. Leonid Chichagov was appointed a priest to take care of the military personnel of the Artillery Department of the Moscow Military District. And then, with his characteristic energy, partly at his own expense, partly with donations, he restores the temple in which he will serve - the temple in the name of St. Nicholas on Stary Vagankovo, which previously belonged to the Rumyantsev Museum for 30 years was closed.

In 1895 Fr. Leonidas is a widower.

There is a legend in the family about how hard the wife experienced the ordination of Leonid Mikhailovich. Father John of Kronstadt said to Natalia Nikolaevna: “Your husband should become a priest and you should not hinder and interfere with the path chosen by your husband, since in this field he will reach great heights.”

And now, 36 years old, Natalia Nikolaevna died, leaving four young daughters - Vera, Natalia, Leonida and Ekaterina.

After the death of his wife, Fr. Leonid became a monk and was assigned to the brotherhood of the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra, and in 1898 he was tonsured into a mantle with the name Seraphim.

While living in the Lavra, he compiled a chronicle essay "Zosimov Hermitage in the Name of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, Vladimir Province, Aleksandrovsky Uyezd" about the desert, which was attributed to the Trinity Lavra. The book went through several editions, corrected and supplemented (1899, 1901, 1913).

After the death of the rector of the Suzdal Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery, Archimandrite Dosifey, K.P. Pobedonostsev in 1899 appointed Hieromonk Seraphim (Chichagov) to this post.

In the same year he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite and appointed dean of the monasteries of the Vladimir diocese.

The new abbot found the ancient monastery in a significant decline, renovated it with donations collected by him and brought it to a flourishing state in 5 years of his rule. Special efforts were made by Archimandrite Seraphim to improve the prison department - the Suzdal prison-fortress: the building was overhauled, the depressing appearance of the prison was destroyed, a library for prisoners was arranged and other significant improvements were provided to them. It was not long before Seraphim had an effect on the prisoners: morals softened, many fanatical sectarians returned to Orthodoxy; and this, in turn, allowed Fr. Seraphim to petition the Holy Synod for the release of prisoners who were languishing in the fortress for their religious beliefs. At his request, 13 people were released by the Holy Synod, and the prison ceased to exist.

During these years, the literary activity of the future lord did not change either. He is working on compiling the well-known Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery, which graciously served to glorify St. Seraphim of Sarov. Metropolitan Seraphim himself wrote the following about the reason for writing this work:

“When, after a rather long state service, I became a priest in a small church behind the Rumyantsev Museum, I wanted to go to the Sarov Hermitage, the place of the exploits of the Monk Seraphim, then not yet glorified, and when summer came, I went there. The Sarov desert made a strong impression on me. I spent several days there in prayer and visited all the places where St. Seraphim labored. From there I moved to the Diveevo Monastery, where I really liked it and much reminded me of St. Seraphim, who cared so much for the Diveevo sisters. The abbess received me very cordially, talked to me a lot and, by the way, said that three people live in the monastery who remember the Monk: two old nuns and the nun Pelageya . Pasha remembers him especially well, who enjoyed the love of the Reverend and was in constant communion with him. I expressed a desire to visit her in order to hear something about the Reverend from her lips. I was taken to the house where Pasha lived. As soon as I entered her, Pasha, who was lying in bed (she was very old and sick), exclaimed:

It’s good that you have come, I have been waiting for you for a long time: the Monk Seraphim ordered me to tell you to report to the Sovereign that the time has come for the opening of his relics and glorification.

I replied to Pasha that, due to my social position, I could not be accepted by the Sovereign and convey to him by mouth what she entrusted me with. I will be considered insane if I start trying to be accepted by the Emperor. I can't do what she asks me to.

To this, Pasha said:

I don’t know anything, I only conveyed what the Reverend commanded me.

In embarrassment, I left the old woman's cell. After her, I went to two nuns who remembered the Reverend. They lived together and took care of each other. One was blind, and the other was all crooked and moved with difficulty around the room: she used to be in charge of the kvass factory and somehow moved a heavy barrel of kvass up the stairs to the cellar, flew down, and after her the barrel hit her on the middle vertebrae of the spinal column. with all its weight. Both of them were great prayer books, the blind nun constantly prayed for the dead, and their souls appeared to her, and she saw them with spiritual eyes. She had something to say about the Reverend.

Before leaving for Sarov, I visited Fr. John of Kronstadt, who, handing me five rubles, said:

Here they sent me five rubles and asked me to pray in private for a suicide: maybe you will meet some needy priest who would agree to pray for the unfortunate.

Arriving at the nuns, I read a note in front of the blind man, in which I invested five rubles given to me by Fr. John. In addition, I gave the name of my late mother and asked to pray for her. I heard in response:

Come back for an answer in three days.

When I arrived at the appointed time, I received the answer:
- I had your mother, she is so small, small, and an angel came with her.

I remembered that my younger sister had passed away at the age of three.

And here is another person for whom I prayed, he is so huge, but he is afraid of me, he keeps running away. Oh look, is he suicidal?

I had to confess that he really was a suicide and told about the conversation with Fr. John.

Soon I left the Diveevsky Monastery and, returning to Moscow, involuntarily pondered the words of Pasha. In Moscow, they again came to my mind, and suddenly one day the thought struck me that it was possible to write down everything that the nuns who remembered him told about St. monastery and borrow from there everything that relates to the life of the Reverend and the period following his death. Bring all this material into a system and chronological order, then print this work, based not only on memoirs, but also on factual data and documents, giving a complete picture of the life and deeds of St. Seraphim and his significance for the religious life of the people, print and present to the Emperor than and the will of the Reverend, transmitted to me in a categorical form by Pasha, will be fulfilled. This decision was further supported by the consideration that the royal family, as was known, when they gathered for evening tea, read aloud books of theological content, and I hoped that my book would be read.

Thus the idea of ​​the Chronicle was born.

In order to carry it out, I soon took a vacation and again went to Diveevo. There I was given the archive of the monastery, just as in the Sarov Hermitage. But first of all, I went to Pasha and began to question her about all the known episodes in the life of the Reverend, carefully wrote down everything that she passed on to me, and then read the notes to her. She found everything written down to be correct and finally said:

Everything that I remember about the Reverend, I told you, and you wrote it down well and correctly.

At this time, the abbess of the Diveevsky monastery went to Nizhny Novgorod to the fair to buy a year's supply of fish for the monastery, and when I wished to visit Pasha in her absence, I found her completely sick and terribly weak. I decided her days were numbered. So, I thought, she fulfilled the will of the Reverend and now she is dying. I hastened to convey my impression to the treasurer's mother, but she replied:

Don't worry, father, without the blessing of mother abbess Pasha will not die.

A week later, the abbess arrived from the fair, and I immediately went to report my fears about Praskovia, persuading her to immediately go to the dying woman in order to say goodbye to her and find out her last will, otherwise it would be too late.

What are you, father, what are you, - she answered, - I just arrived, I was tired: I did not have time to look around; I’ll rest, put everything in order, then I’ll go to Pasha.

Two days later we went together to Pasha. She was delighted to see the abbess. They remembered the old, cried, hugged and kissed. At last the abbess stood up and said:

Well, Pasha, now I bless you to die.

Three hours later, I was already serving the first memorial service for Blessed Paraskeva.

Returning to Moscow with the collected material about the Monk Seraphim, I immediately began my work. Soon I became a widow and became a monk with the name of Seraphim, choosing him as my heavenly patron. The chronicle was published in 1896 and presented to the Sovereign, which influenced the decision on the glorification of St. Seraphim.

During Leonid Mikhailovich’s first trip to Diveevo, Blessed Pasha Sarovskaya met him, looked “from under the handle” and said: “And the sleeves are, after all, the Metropolitan’s.”

The Chronicle went through two editions before the revolution - in 1896 and 1903. It presents a detailed description of the creation of a monastery in Diveevo - the fourth inheritance of the Mother of God on earth. Based on the collected material, the book most reliably reflects all the events that have taken place since the founding of the monasteries in Sarov and Diveevo, tells about the first organizer - Mother Alexandra (in the world Agafya Semyonovna Melgunova), contains a biography of the blessed elder hieromonk Seraphim and his closest people: M.V. Manturov, Archpriest Vasily Sadovsky, Blessed Pelageya Ivanovna Serebrennikova, N.A. Motovilov, associates of the monastery, covering the period from 1705 to 1895.

It is impossible to overestimate this work. The main thing in the Chronicle is the image of the Monk Seraphim, written with love, reverence and admiration for his deeds, labors, miracles, his image of a man who constantly offered up prayers to God, who was honored to see the Mother of God more than once and carried out all Her instructions, who treated all the brethren with love and people, with his quiet exclamations “Christ is Risen” and “My Joy”, encouraging every person.

The book contains many teachings and conversations of the Monk Seraphim, a well-known conversation with N.A. Motovilov about the goal of Christian life is transmitted. Reading all this, you are amazed at the depth, with what faith in the Lord, parting words to the pious life were given to the Reverends.

In the Chronicle, much attention is paid to the creation, improvement and decoration of the Diveevo convent, which Father Seraphim nourished with the personal blessing and guidance of the Queen of Heaven, as her fourth inheritance. Nothing was done in this monastery without the blessing of the Reverend. Batiushka himself worked out the plan of the Serafi-mo-Diveevsky monastery, ordered to acquire land for its expansion, and supervised the construction of the Church of the Nativity. In 1829, three acres of land were donated to the monastery, and then Father Seraphim ordered that this land be plowed, pebbles and pegs placed along the boundary. When the earth dried up after the snow, Father Seraphim ordered to dig a groove three arshins deep along the boundary and throw the earth taken out inside the monastery so that a shaft also three arshins deep was formed. “Father Seraphim said many wonderful things about this groove. That this groove is the piles of the Mother of God. Then the Queen of Heaven Herself bypassed her! This groove is sky high.”

Until now, believers come to Diveevo and bypass this groove, already significantly devastated, reading 150 times the prayer "Our Lady of the Virgin, rejoice."

And as soon as the sisters finished digging the trench, Father Seraphim died, entrusting them to the intercession of the Queen of Heaven and leaving them a touching covenant: “When I am gone: come to my coffin; walk as you have time, and the more often, the better. Everything that is in your soul, everything that you grieve about, whatever happens to you, all come to me on the coffin, crouching to the ground, as if to a living person, and tell me. And I will hear you, and your sorrow will pass! How to talk to me alive. And I will always live for you!”

The publication of the Chronicle contributed to the fact that the Orthodox world more deeply recognized the Reverend Father Seraphim and the Diveevo Monastery as the fourth destiny of the Mother of God.

The archive contains a copy of the Chronicle of 1896, with notes by the spiritual censor Fr. Grigory Dyachenko. In total, about 20 pages of the text were seized. Mostly deleted from the work are places related to the prophecies of St. Seraphim of Sarov. Now they have been restored and, of course, should be included in the book if it is reprinted.

At the end of the Chronicle in 1902, Archimandrite Seraphim had a vision, about which he subsequently told his spiritual son, Archpriest Stefan Lyashevsky: material about the Monk Seraphim. At that moment, the Monk Seraphim entered the cell, and I saw him as if alive. I never thought for a moment that this was a vision - everything was so simple and real. But what was my surprise when Father Seraphim bowed to my waist and said: “Thank you for the Chronicle. Ask me whatever you want for her." With these words, he came close to me and put his hand on my shoulder. I clung to him and said: “Father, dear, I am so happy now that I don’t want anything else but to always be near you.” Father Seraphim smiled in agreement and became invisible. Only then did I realize that it was a vision. My joy knew no end."

Further, Vladyka recalled that before his death, through the nun Evpraksia, who was honored to see the last appearance of the Mother of God to the Monk, he asked to convey something “to that Archimandrite Seraphim, who will be the steward during my glorification. To the question about Stefan, what exactly the Reverend ordered to convey, Vladyka Seraphim replied: “Only I will know about this.” It can be assumed that the Monk Seraphim predicted to Archimandrite Seraphim the martyrdom necessary for him to be worthy to be in the Kingdom of Heaven near the Monk Seraphim for the holy martyr's crown.

Using his connections in court circles, Fr. Seraphim nevertheless managed to find a way to Emperor Nicholas II and found in him his like-minded person on the issue of the discovery of the relics of the Monk. But during the discussion of this issue in the Holy Synod, a terrible turmoil arose. Almost the entire Synod was against it. Where to go? What for? There are no incorruptible relics, only bones. Go to the wilderness, to the forest!!!

Only the Sovereign, Chief Procurator Sabler and Metropolitan Anthony insisted on the opening of the relics. Metropolitan Seraphim wrote about this turmoil in his work, which was a continuation of the Chronicle. Unfortunately, it was only in manuscript and was confiscated by the GPU officers during the next search and has not yet been found. This gap can be filled by taking some facts from the material of Chichagov's archive and L.I.Denisov's book.

The main question was: do the incorruptible relics of the deceased elder Seraphim of Sarov exist? By decision of the Emperor, in August 1902, Metropolitan Vladimir of Moscow, Bishops Dimitry of Tambov, Bishops of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas Nazarius were instructed to conduct a preliminary examination of the remains of St. Seraphim, adding to themselves Archimandrite Seraphim of Suzdal and the prosecutor of the Moscow Synodal Office, Prince Shirinsky-Shikhmatov.

The survey showed that incorruptible relics do not exist. This confused the Holy Synod even more.

However, the Emperor did not leave the decision to glorify the Reverend and in every possible way confirmed the reverent memory of him. Thus, in October 1902, the Sovereign Emperor sent a lampada to the Seraphim-Diveevo Convent as a gift for the installation and unquenchable burning in front of the icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness” located in the Trinity Cathedral of the monastery, before which the Monk Seraphim prayed and died on his knees. The lampada, on the personal command of His Majesty, was delivered to the named monastery by the rector of the Suzdal Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery, Archimandrite Seraphim (Chichagov).

On Sunday, October 20, 1902, after the celebration of the Divine Liturgy in the cathedral church, he solemnly installed this lamp (silver, gilded, fine workmanship, decorated with a double-headed eagle and multi-colored enamel) in the prepared place in front of the icon of the Mother of God "Tenderness" and lit it for eternity to great joy of the sisters of the monastery.

Nevertheless, Nicholas II insisted on continuing the case. And so, on January 11, 1903, a representative commission appointed by the Holy Synod, consisting of 10 people, headed by Metropolitan Vladimir of Moscow and Kolomna, again proceeds to a detailed examination of the remains of the elder. Archimandrite Seraphim was also a member of this commission.

The report, compiled by the commission after the examination and signing of the act, presented the results of an investigation about miraculous signs and healings revealed from the relics and through the prayers of Father Seraphim. On this report, presented at the monarch's discretion, the Sovereign Emperor wrote: "I read it with a feeling of true joy and deep tenderness."

But back to Diveevo.

How was this situation perceived by the nuns of the Diveevo Monastery? Nun Evdokia, who at that time was the cell-attendant of Blessed Pasha Sarovskaya, said: “Blessed Praskovya Ivanovna fasted for 15 days, did not drink or eat anything, and became so weak that she could not walk. One evening Archimandrite Seraphim (Chichagov) comes to her, so sad, and says to her:

Mother (as everyone called the Blessed One), they refuse to open the relics to us.

And she replies:

Take me by the arms and lead me free.

They took her by the arms on one side, Archimandrite Seraphim, and on the other, her cell-attendant mother Seraphim. They took me out to the porch, let me down the stairs. She says:

Take a piece of iron (shovel), dig.

Archimandrite Seraphim began to dig, and she corrected:

Right, left. Well, here are the powers.

Archimandrite Seraphim recalls that at that time one of the old women, who still lived under the Monk, said:

We bow not to bones, but to miracles.”

The report of the commission and the insistence of the Emperor forced the Holy Synod to satisfy their desire, which was reflected in the document “The Act of the Holy Synod on January 29, 1903”, which details the material on the basis of which the Synod made a decision on the canonization of Elder Seraphim of Sarov.

I am quoting some excerpts from it.

“In 1895, the His Grace Bishop of Tambov submitted to the Holy Synod an investigation carried out by a special commission about miraculous signs and healings revealed through the prayers of Father Seraphim, who faithfully asked for his help. This investigation, begun by the commission on February 3, 1892, was completed in August 1894 and was carried out in 28 dioceses of European Russia and Siberia. All cases of grace-filled help through the prayers of Elder Seraphim were examined by a commission of 94, and most of them were sufficiently certified by proper testimony.

The Holy Synod, having examined in all detail and with all possible care the circumstances of this case, found that numerous cases of grace-filled help through the prayers of Elder Seraphim, duly examined, do not present any doubt about their authenticity and, by their nature, belong to events that reveal the miraculous power of God. , through the intercession and intercession of the Monk Seraphim, poured out on those who, with faith and prayer, resort in their spiritual and bodily ailments to his grace-filled intercession. Together with him, the Synod wished that the all-honorable remains of the ever-memorable Elder Seraphim be the object of reverent honoring from all those who flow to his prayerful intercession.

Therefore, the Most Holy Synod, fully convinced of the truth and reliability of the miracles performed through the prayers of Elder Seraphim, set out in the following decision:

1. Recognize the reverent elder Seraphim, who rests in the Sarov Desert, among the saints, glorified by the grace of God, and his all-honourable remains - holy relics and put them in a tomb specially prepared by the zeal of His Imperial Majesty for worship and honoring from those who flow to him with prayer.
2. To compose a special service to the Reverend Father Seraphim, and until the time of such compilation, after the day of glorification of his memory, send him a common service to the reverends, and celebrate his memory both on the day of his repose, January 2, and on the day of the discovery of his holy relics.
3. Announce this to the nation-wide news from the Holy Synod.

By decision of January 29, 1903, the Holy Synod decided to instruct His Grace Anthony, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, together with His Grace of Tambov and Nizhny Novgorod, to perform on the 19th day of July of this year the solemn opening of the relics of the Reverend Father Seraphim, Sarov wonderworker.

In addition, the Holy Synod decided: “In view of the expected gathering of a large number of visitors and pilgrims by the day of the glorification and discovery of the holy relics of the Reverend Father Seraphim, the miracle worker of Sarov, it was recognized as necessary to take measures for the proper arrangement of communication lines and the necessary premises.” As a result, regardless of the measures taken in the general order of local government, Nicholas II instructed the archimandrite of the Suzdal Monastery Seraphim and the prosecutor of the Moscow Synodal Office, Prince Shirinsky-Shikhmatov, to take charge of all preparatory measures for organizing and bringing to a successful end the complex cases associated with the upcoming celebration of glorification Reverend Father Seraphim. This was followed by a personal letter from the chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod, K.P. Pobedonostsev, to Archimandrite Seraphim, confirming this decision, with a detailed list of cases. After this decision, the said works in the Sarovsky and Diveevsky monasteries immediately began.

There is a document written by the hand of Archimandrite Seraphim, which describes in great detail all the arrangements, meals, housing for the expected pilgrims and pilgrims, as well as their movement from Arzamas to Sarov through Diveevo. This document amazes with the thoughtfulness and diligence characteristic of Archimandrite Seraphim.

The period of preparation was covered in the "Moscow" and "Governmental" Heralds.

A very detailed ceremonial for the solemn opening of the holy relics of the Reverend was developed, which provided for both divine services from July 15 to 21, 1903, and the transfer of the relics from the grave to the prepared tomb.

The “Word on the day of memory of Seraphim of Sarov” was compiled, which was said in churches at services. The celebrations took place on July 17-19 (old style) 1903 in the presence of the royal family, about which there was complete information with a large number of photographs in magazines and newspapers of that time.

The works of Archimandrite Seraphim were highly appreciated, both by the Sovereign himself (He was presented with a miter), and by many clergymen who took part in the celebrations. This is evidenced by letters that have survived to this day and the election of Archimandrite Seraphim as an honorary member of several Societies of Banner Bearers.

But the work of Archimandrite Seraphim connected with the glorification of St. Seraphim did not end there. He wrote a short life of him, a short Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery - as well as an akathist to the Monk, which we hear in churches to this day. In Russian hymnography, the akathist to Seraphim of Sarov is considered one of the pinnacles of spiritual poetry. The reading of this akathist is miraculous, about which, in particular, Sergei Nilus wrote.

It should be pointed out that the manner of reading the akathist, established in the Sarov monastery, was adopted by Moscow. The regent with the choir from the Moscow church of St. Nicholas, in Plotnikov Lane, went specially to Sarov in order to accurately adopt the reading and singing of the akathist. After the closing of the church of St. Nicholas, this tradition of singing passed to the church of the prophet Elijah in Obydensky Lane, where the reading of the akathist in front of the icon of St. Seraphim is performed to this day on Monday evenings.

The whole life of Metropolitan Seraphim was aimed at fulfilling the obediences imposed on a monk ascending the steps of the hierarchical ladder: hieromonk, archimandrite, bishop, archbishop, metropolitan. He worked in many places, and everywhere his work left its mark.

Returning after the celebrations to Suzdal, Archimandrite Seraphim took up the preparatory work for the upcoming 500th anniversary of the death of St. Euthymius, the Wonderworker of Suzdal, and compiled his biography. But he did not have to celebrate this anniversary in Suzdal. On February 14, 1904, he was appointed rector of the Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery. He stayed in this monastery for only a year, but even during this time he managed to renovate the cathedral of the monastery.

On April 28, 1905, in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, Metropolitan Vladimir (Bogoyavlensky), Bishop Trifon (Turkestanov) and Bishop Seraphim (Golubyatnikov) Archimandrite Seraphim (Chichagov) was consecrated Bishop of Sukhumi.

One can truly speak of Metropolitan Seraphim as a chosen one of God.

During his consecration, Vladyka defined his life path as follows: “God’s call is made in many different ways! Unsearchable are the ways of God's Providence (Rom. 11:33), which predetermine the paths of man. With me, for the third time in the course of the last twelve years, upheavals are taking place that change the whole structure of my life. Although I never forgot to prayerfully stretch out my hands to God in the hope of His mercy and forgiveness, could I imagine that my initial secular path, which seemed natural and quite consistent with my birth and upbringing, which lasted so long and with such success, did not the one that is meant for me by God? And how was I to be sure of this? Undoubtedly, through trials and tribulations, for it is known that tribulations are the best heralds of God's will, and from the beginning of the century they have served people as a sign of God's election. Having experienced orphanhood, people's indifference, helplessness from the age of eight, and convinced of the need to pave my way through my own work and many years of study, after graduating from my education, in my youth I went through all the horrors of wartime, feats of self-denial, but kept alive by the wondrous Providence of God , continued his original path, undergoing numerous and varied trials, sorrows and upheavals, which ended in a family misfortune - widowhood. Enduring so many sorrows, I am fully convinced that this world, which is so difficult to stop loving, is becoming our enemy through them, and that a special, thorny path is predestined for me in my life ... It is hard to test the ways of God! Not because it requires unconditional obedience, perfect obedience and total devotion to the will of God, which are bestowed by the Lord Himself; it is hard because, as St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, says, the world, conquered by faith, captivated by her obedience, and therefore admitted into her region, inconspicuously brought its own spirit into it; Thus, this enemy of Christ and Christianity finds himself within the confines of Christianity itself, hiding behind the name of Christendom, he acts freely and establishes worldly Christianity for himself, tries to regenerate the sons of faith into sons of the world, to prevent the sons of the world from being reborn into the true Christian life, but on those who disobey him are armed with hatred, slyness, slander, slander, contempt, and every instrument of unrighteousness.

Therefore, the life of people taken from the world and put on the spiritual path is especially difficult and mournful. The same thing happened to me. Others girded me and led me where I did not expect and did not dream of going, and these people were, of course, of a high spiritual life. When, through their holy prayers, the consciousness was opened in me that the Lord Himself required from me such a change in the way for the sake of His Divine purposes, that this is necessary for my whole future life, for the trials and sorrows destined for me, for my co-crucifixion with Christ, then in spite of against any obstacles put to me by the world, I fulfilled holy obedience and first accepted the priesthood, and after widowhood - monasticism. For a long time I endured condemnation for these important steps in life and kept in the depths of my mournful heart the true reason for them. But finally, the Lord Himself justified my monasticism in my immediate participation in the glorification of the great wonderworker St. Seraphim. Now, by the all-good will of the Lord, I am called to the high service of the Church of Christ in the rank of bishop.”

Vladyka, having barely appeared in Georgia, faced a formidable situation: the revolution of 1905 stirred up Georgian nationalism, and the bishop, with all his inherent energy, set about the anti-troubling struggle. Bishop Seraphim did not serve long at the Sukhum see; in 1906 he was transferred to Oryol.

Vladyka spent the years 1906-1908 in the Oryol diocese, actively engaged in organizing parish life. According to him, he accepted the decision of the Holy Synod of November 18, 1905 on this issue “with the liveliest interest and sympathy”. He developed a teaching system, organized parish councils in the diocese, entrusting them with duties both in the line of church affairs and in the line of charity. All this was supposed to lead to the strengthening of faith, to raising the spirituality of the parishioners, to the organization of schools, libraries, hospitals, and to contribute to the Christian education of the younger generation.

Subsequently, Bishop Seraphim, on the basis of the experience of the Oryol diocese, compiled an "Appeal to the spirit of the Tver diocese on the revival of parish life."

In the Address, point by point, all aspects of parish life and ways to revive it are considered. According to Vladyka Seraphim, “in order to revive parish life, it is necessary to return to the church and social life of the Old Russian parish, so that the parish community is unanimously engaged not only in education, charity, missionary work, but also in the morality of its fellow members, restoring the rights of elders over younger ones, parents over children, and educating and the leadership of the younger generation, the affirmation of Christian and Orthodox institutions... For the revival of pastoral and parish life, first of all, the union of pastors with the flock is required. This can be facilitated by pastoral meetings and conventions. The revival of parish life must come from the bishop. If the latter does not unite with his assistant pastors, then they will not unite among themselves and with the parishioners; if the bishop is not imbued with this idea of ​​reviving the parish, if he himself does not talk to the pastors during the congress of the diocese, gives them the most detailed practical instructions, if he does not correspond with the perplexed priests, filially questioning the archpastor in their difficulties, he will not publish in the Diocesan Vedomosti, his instructions and instructions, everything that he would like to explain and introduce, then parish revival will not occur and the vital principle will not penetrate our dead communities.

The year 1907 is coming. His Grace Seraphim is appointed a member of the Holy Synod.

In 1908 he was appointed Bishop of Chisinau and Khotyn. A new period began - Chisinau.

Here, just as in Orel, he began with all his energy to revive parishes, already having rich experience. His conversations in the hall of the State Duma “On parish communities” are known, his above-mentioned “Appeal” and orders for the diocese are published.

During these years, Bishop Seraphim especially revered the Gerbovets Icon of the Mother of God: “In every province there is some kind of local revered or miraculous icon, to which the people like to turn for help and consolation. There is such an icon in Bessarabia. This is the Gerbovets miraculous icon of the Mother of God. Vladyka read an akathist every week in front of this miraculous icon in the cathedral or in the Cross Church of the bishop's house.

His Grace performed many services in various churches of the diocese on holidays and in honor of memorable dates.

At the end of 1908, the Holy Synod decided to restore church veneration to the Blessed Grand Duchess Anna Kashinskaya (commemoration days October 2/15 and June 12/25). Vladyka Seraphim was present at the celebration of glorification on June 12, 1909, and on June 17 he brought the icon of St. Anna Kashinskaya in Chisinau. At the meeting with an unprecedented gathering of people, Vladyka addressed the faithful with a short speech, in which he said that while praying fervently in the Kashin Resurrection Cathedral, where the relics of the Blessed Princess Anna of Kashinskaya rest, he was honored to receive an icon of the saint with a particle of her relics in the blessing of Orthodox Bessarabia. The icon was donated by him to the Izmail fortress of the Holy Assumption Monastery, miracles from it are known.

Two books by Vladyka Seraphim were published in Chisinau, in which were collected the words and sermons delivered by him during various periods of church service.

Vladyka served in Kishinev until 1912 and was transferred to Tver by the Archbishop of Tver and Kashinsky. In Tver, he continued his work on the revival of parish life and the enlightenment of the clergy.

The revolutionary year of 1917 came. Archbishop Seraphim was at that time in St. Petersburg. The personality of the Lord was too well known. Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov) recalled: “When the archbishop returned from St. Petersburg to Tver, the diocesan congress voted to remove him from the diocese. The archbishop fought for a long time against such non-canonical arbitrariness.”

However, the interim Synod, led by Chief Prosecutor Lvov, sent him to rest.

Nevertheless, Archbishop Seraphim was elected a member of the Local Council of 1917-1918 and he headed the monastic section.

After the Council in 1918, he was elevated to the rank of metropolitan and he received the appointment of metropolitan of Warsaw and all Poland. But due to the current political situation, he was unable to go to his new destination, and he lived for two years in the Chernigov skete of the Trinity Lavra. In 1920 Vladyka settled in Moscow and served in various churches.

In 1921 Vladyka Seraphim was arrested. By a decision of the judicial troika, the Cheka was sentenced to deportation to the Arkhangelsk concentration camp for a period of two years and sent to the Taganka prison for transfer to the place of detention. By telegram of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee dated January 11, 1922, the deportation to the concentration camp of Chichagov L.M. was suspended. On January 14, 1922, the case of Chichagov L.M. was reviewed and the period of expulsion suspended conditionally. On April 25, 1922, the decision of the Presidium of the Cheka was canceled regarding the conditional application to Chichagov L.M. expulsions. He was transferred to the disposal of the Arkhangelsk GUB Department for moving into the place of residence as an administrative exile for a period of June 24, 1923. By the decision of the board of the GPU of March 20, 1923 Chichagov L.M. was exiled to the Mari region for one year. On April 16, 1924, he was again arrested and kept in the Butyrka prison. On July 14, 1924, he was released from custody under a written undertaking not to leave Moscow. At the request of Patriarch Tikhon and the church community, in August 1925 the investigation was terminated and Vladyka was released.

At that time, many bishops gathered in Moscow at the St. Danilov Monastery, and they were asked to choose any surviving monasteries for their residence. Metropolitan Seraphim asked for shelter in the Diveevo Monastery, but Abbess Alexandra (Trakovskaya) refused him this.

There is a recollection of the nun Seraphim of the Diveevsky Monastery (in the world of Sofia Alexandrovna Bulgakova), explaining this circumstance. Metropolitan Seraphim was very close to Abbess Maria (Ushakova) and Blessed Paraskeva of Sarov. Mother Mary died shortly after the discovery of the relics, in 1904. On the recommendation of Archimandrite Seraphim (Chichagov), former treasurer Alexander (Trakovskaya) took her place. The abbess in the monastery was chosen by the sisters themselves, and Archimandrite Seraphim proposed to choose her, since he knew that this was the desire of the late abbess Mary.

So they unanimously elected Mother Alexandra.

The late mother Maria consulted with Archimandrite Seraphim in everything, and the young abbess began to keep herself apart. There were disagreements. Soon they deepened in connection with the laying of a warm cathedral in the place determined by St. Seraphim. Already earlier on this site, Ivan Tikhvinovich Tolstosheev, who ordered after the death of the Reverend in Diveevo, built a warm wooden church in the name of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God. The monastery cathedral was cold, and in winter all services were held in the Tikhvin Church. She was dilapidated, was dark and low. Sometimes they also served in the church of Alexander Nevsky. It was much more spacious, but there was a refectory in it and on holidays they dined there.

Vladyka Seraphim insisted on building a new cathedral on the site of the Tikhvin Church, but Mother Abbess Alexandra did not want to break it, and the new cathedral was laid not at all in the place where the Reverend indicated, but on the side, against the beginning of the groove. This led to a break in relations between Metropolitan Seraphim and the abbess.

Blessed Praskovya Ivanovna was alive at that time (she died in 1915), but she was not asked. The late mother abbess Maria did nothing without her blessing. But Abbess Alexandra acted differently.

When the foundation stone of the cathedral was already underway, Elizaveta Ivanovna, the deaf old woman Elizaveta Ivanovna, took it into her head to come and ask Praskovya Ivanovna. All were bookmarked. Elizaveta Ivanovna came to the blessed one, turned to Dunya (the cell attendant): “I am deaf, I can’t hear; I will ask, and you tell me what she will answer me. Mother, do they donate to the cathedral?” Praskovya Ivanovna answered: “The cathedral is a cathedral, but I saw that the bird cherry grew in the corners of the cathedral, as if it did not fill up the cathedral.” These words were not delivered. Dunya decided that it was useless to say something, now it’s too late anyway, and said: “Blesses.”

The cathedral was never consecrated.

Since that time, Metropolitan Seraphim has not been to the Diveevo Monastery.

I would also like to say about the personal connection of Metropolitan Seraphim with Diveev. When his wife died, Father Leonid brought her body to Diveevo and buried it in the northwestern corner of the monastery cemetery, built a chapel and made a crypt in it. Two images of St. Seraphim hung in the crypt. At the tombstone of his wife there was an icon depicting the death of the Reverend, and above the place prepared for Father Leonid, there was an icon depicting the Reverend walking with a staff.

About these icons of the Monk Father Leonid said: “She (the wife) has already died, but I am still walking.” And from the Sovereign he stocked up with a paper in which it was ordered that L.M. Chichagov, wherever he died, be brought and buried in Diveevo.

Currently, the crypt and the chapel, of course, do not exist. They were destroyed, like so many other things. The ashes of Natalia Nikolaevna were reburied right there in the cemetery. Now on the site of the cemetery there is a school with a sports ground.

Metropolitan Seraphim was accepted into residence by Abbess Arseny at the Sergievsky Convent near the city of Shuya, Vladimir Region. He lived in this monastery for two years.

In 1927, Vladyka Seraphim recognized the authority of Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky). A man of order, accustomed to thinking in terms of a strict hierarchy, he considered the restoration of centralized ecclesiastical authority to be a necessary undertaking.

In 1928, Vladyka was summoned from Shuya by Metropolitan Sergius to Moscow and appointed head of the Leningrad diocese.

Vladyka Seraphim celebrated his first liturgy in Leningrad at the Transfiguration Cathedral on Liteiny Prospekt, where he had once been an elder. The residence of the Right Reverend Seraphim was in the Novodevichy Convent.

The Metropolitan served every Sunday in one of the churches in the city or suburb. After the service, Vladyka preached. He always explained the meaning of transubstantiation, spoke about how powerful prayer is after the transubstantiation of the Gifts: “The Holy Spirit transubstantiates the Gifts on the throne, but He descends on each of us, renews our souls, mental strength, any prayer, if it is pronounced from the heart, will be fulfilled." And when the Metropolitan, after the blessing of the Gifts, bowed his knees, falling to the throne, all those praying fell on their faces.

On Fridays in the Church of the Sign near the Moscow railway station, where there was a chapel in memory of the Monk Seraphim, the Metropolitan read an akathist to the Monk. He read by heart, and after the akathist he talked with the people.

The theological concept of the metropolitan is interesting:

“The world was created by God for man to serve Him, but man has rebelled against God and fights with Him. God gave everything to people, but man rejected His gifts.” The Metropolitan recalled the frescoes in the Vladimir Cathedral in Kiev: “The crucifixion, and at the top God the Father points to it with his hands: “I have given you everything, I can give nothing more.” When it finally becomes clear that the world cannot serve God, the world will perish - and there will be a new heaven and a new earth.

The statements of Metropolitan Seraphim about the Divine Liturgy are interesting. Krasnov-Levitin expounded them very well: “And the bishops, in particular, Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov) of Petrograd, even now convincingly call their flock to the liturgy and communion of the Holy Mysteries, as the surest and most powerful means against spiritual evil and the onslaught of unbelief in our Motherland. As long as the Divine Liturgy is being served, while people are approaching Divine Communion, until then one can be sure that the Orthodox Church will stand and win, that the Russian people will not perish in the evil of sin, godlessness, malice, materialism, pride and impurity, that our Motherland will be reborn and saved. Therefore, Metropolitan Seraphim convinces the clergy and flock, above all, think about the preservation, celebration and continuous service (daily, even multiple, on different thrones) of the Liturgy. If she will, there will be both the Church and Russia.”

Metropolitan Seraphim was for 30 years a close spiritual son of Fr. John of Kronstadt and, undoubtedly, the spirit of the Father was reflected in this advice.

Vladyka Seraphim considered the preaching of the word of God to be the most important and necessary thing. Sermons are mainly timed to the days of church holidays, anniversaries and memorable dates.

A wonderful word was said by Bishop Seraphim at a solemn memorial service for the deceased mourner of the Russian land - Fr. John of Kronstadt, and before the memorial service on the fortieth day of his death. I would like to point out the close connection of the spiritual son with his mentor. Vladyka Seraphim, observing Fr. John and his services at the throne of God, understood and explained many features of his life that were not understood by his contemporaries.

The Metropolitan especially revered the Queen of Heaven. He often spoke of the special mercy of the Mother of God to the Russian land. This love appeared in numerous icons of the Mother of God in Holy Russia. But our sins and iniquities grew: “The Mother of God departed from us and the Holy Miracle-Working Icons of the Queen of Heaven hid, and until there is a sign from the Holy Miracle-Working Icons of the Mother of God, I will not believe that we are forgiven. But I believe that such a time will come, and we will live to see it.”

And so these words begin to come true. After many years of desolation, the consecration of the Trinity Cathedral of the devastated Diveevsky Monastery took place, and this significant event took place on March 31, 1990, on the Day of Praise of the Most Holy Theotokos, which testifies to the great mercy of the Most Pure One to the Russian land.

Vladyka did not recognize common confession and fought against it. Priest Valentin Sventsitsky in his article recalled that Metropolitan Seraphim wrote a detailed report against the general confession, in which, among other things, he said: “No general confession existed either in antiquity or later, and nowhere is it mentioned throughout the entire history of the Orthodox Churches… The establishment of a common confession is a clear replacement for the New Testament Mystery by the Old Testament rite… One prayer and one contrition for sins do not constitute a Sacrament, which manifests itself naturally from the depths of the heart, even arises against the will of a person, but for the Sacrament a supernatural phenomenon is needed, an impact on the Divine spirit. .

Metropolitan Seraphim was a devoted servant of the Russian Orthodox Church and a patriot of his Motherland. All his life he fought for the purity of Orthodoxy. Before the death of John of Kronstadt blessed him with the words: "I can die in peace, knowing that you and His Grace Hermogenes will continue my work, will fight for Orthodoxy, for which I bless you."

Vladyka had to endure many sorrows in this struggle, reproach and slander. THEM. Kontsevich, in his book Optina Hermitage and Her Time, mentions Vladyka Seraphim in connection with the schism that took place in Optina Hermitage during the time of Fr. Barsanophia. The reason for the split was that some monks sought the abolition of eldership. Father Barsanuphiy pacified the rebellion and removed the instigators from the monastery. The latter sent a complaint to the Synod. The synod appointed an audit, the investigation was conducted by Bishop Seraphim. According to Kontsevich, Vladyka Seraphim smashed and reviled the rector and head of the skete, the elders “who bowed their whitened heads before him ...”, raised the question of accepting back the removed rebels, insisted on this, which disrupted the life of Optina Hermitage: the elder Fr. Varsonofy was removed to Golutvin and the question of closing the skete and ending the eldership was raised.

There is other material from which it is clear that the version of I.M. Kontsevich is not correct. I refer to the “Notes on Father John of Kronstadt and the Optina Elders” published by Father Vasily Shustin from personal memoirs.

Father Vasily Shustin was the spiritual son of Elder Barsanuphius. The publication of the notes belongs to Hieromonk John (Shakhovsky). Here is the verbatim text of the conversation between Father Barsanuphius and his spiritual son: “There were people whom the wisdom of the priest did not allow to live, and the enemy did not doze off. A certain Mitya tongue-tied from the city of Kozelsk settled in the skete. He was a drunkard and secretly corrupted the monks. Batiushka could not stand this and evicted him from the skete. Now a whole legion has openly taken up arms against the father ... One of the women of the St. Petersburg religious and political circle of Countess Ignatieva came to Optina and collected all the accusations that could be invented against the father: that the father is a freethinker, that he loves luxury, because he decorates his cell with flowers, that he freely treats women, badly manages the skete property, takes money from the pilgrims. Bishop Seraphim (Chichagov), who came to Optina, whitewashed the priest, but the matter of his recall from Optina had already been decided somewhere. O. Varsonofiy had to leave the skete… Just by this time I had arrived in Optina. Batiushka met me with joy, told me about his circumstances and told me how the day before the devil took up arms not only against his name, but also against his life ... "

Distinguished by versatile talents, Vladyka put them all into practice for the glory of God. His military exploits, literary activity, organizational abilities aimed at strengthening the faith, reviving parishes, restoring order in churches and monasteries, his preaching - everything served God.

He drew well. His work has been preserved to this day. In the Moscow Church of the Prophet Elijah, in Obydensky Lane, at the entrance to the temple you can see the wonderful image of the Savior painted by him in full growth in a white tunic and the image of the Monk Seraphim praying on a stone above the entrance arch in the main aisle.

Metropolitan Seraphim was musical: he sang and played well, composed church music. He never parted with the harmonium. He paid great attention to church singing: wherever he served, he always selected singers for the choir, conducted rehearsals.

I would like to add that Metropolitan Seraphim was handsome, tall, he had a special, soft, as if muffled voice, a sweet manner of speaking, slightly mockingly, but not harshly. Military bearing left an imprint on his entire appearance. In the vestments of the service, he was majestic and natural.

All his life Bishop Seraphim was engaged in charity work. While still in the military, he founded a charitable society to help the military, who, due to illness, were forced to retire before acquiring the right to retire. He took care of orphans whose parents died in the war. Practiced a lot for free. During the Russo-Japanese War, Vladyka Seraphim formed ambulance trains and collected donations.

Being personally engaged in the revival of parish life in the dioceses, Vladyka Seraphim organized schools, libraries, canteens through the parish councils, closely followed the needs of the students of theological schools. As already mentioned, Vladyka liquidated the prison in the Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery. He was very attentive to his subordinates, surrounded them with the necessary care.

There are memories of such a case: at night from prison, in a coffin hastily knocked together from rough boards, the body of the deceased Archbishop Hilarion (Troitsky) was given out for burial to the closest relatives. When the coffin was opened, no one recognized him, so the exile changed Bishop Hilarion, who was distinguished by his tall stature and good health. Metropolitan Seraphim brought his white vestment, a white mitre. After dressing, the body was placed in another, better coffin. The funeral service was performed by Metropolitan Seraphim himself, accompanied by six bishops and many clergy.

Metropolitan Seraphim paid great attention to deeply believing young people. His letter from exile (Arkhangelsk, 1922) has been preserved to his spiritual son, later Archpriest Father Alexei Belyaev (died December 15, 1987). Here are excerpts from it: “We are all people, and it is impossible that the sea of ​​\u200b\u200blife does not foam with its shame, dirt does not float up, and this does not cleanse the depth of the whole element.

You be only with Christ, the only Truth, Truth and Love; but with Him everything is beautiful, everything is clear, everything is pure and comforting. Depart with your mind and heart, thoughts from the evil that rules over the graceless, and take care of one thing - to keep in yourself, by faith, Divine grace, through which Christ and His peace dwell in us.

It is impossible not to see this evil; but it is quite possible not to allow it to distract from God's truth. Yes, it exists and is terrible in its manifestations, but how unfortunate are those who obey it. After all, we do not refuse to study the truth and listen to smart people, because there are crazy people among us in the hospital and at large. Such facts do not turn away from life, therefore, we should not be led astray from the path of truth and goodness by the fact that at times an evil force manifests its earthly power. God is not mocked, but man - what he sows, that he will reap.

Learn inner prayer so that it is not noticed by your appearance and does not embarrass anyone. The more we are occupied with inner prayer, the fuller, more reasonable and more rewarding our life in general. And time passes more imperceptibly, faster. For this, the Jesus Prayer and your own short sayings are especially useful: “help me, Lord,” or “protect and strengthen,” or “teach,” and so on.

The one who prays inwardly looks at everything external indifferently, distractedly, for this prayer is not mental, but heartfelt, separating from the surface of the earth and bringing it closer to the invisible Heaven.

Learn to forgive everyone their shortcomings and mistakes due to their submission to evil power and, undoubtedly, an abnormal state of mind. Say to yourself: "Help him, Lord, for he is spiritually ill!" Such a consciousness will prevent condemnation, for only one who is perfect and does not make mistakes, knows everything, and most importantly, knows for sure that a person does not act according to the circumstances that have developed around him, but according to his own will, according to his passion, can judge.

Vladyka Seraphim served as Metropolitan of Leningrad for five years.

In 1933, when the authorities were cherishing a plan for the rapid destruction of the Church in the USSR, Metropolitan Seraphim became a hindrance to them, and was sent to rest.

On October 24, he performed his last service in the same Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior and left for Moscow in the evening, handing over his flock to Metropolitan Alexy (Simansky), later Patriarch of All Russia.

Upon arrival in Moscow, Vladyka stayed at the residence of Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) in Baumansky Lane, looking for a new home.

At the beginning of 1934, he rented half a house in a dacha area near Moscow at the Malakhovka station, and then moved to a dacha near the Udelnaya station of the Kazan Railway.

In retirement, Metropolitan Seraphim lives quietly, calmly, reads a lot, plays music. He is visited by relatives, friends, spiritual children. Metropolitan Alexy (Simansky) was also a fairly frequent guest.

The years took their toll on Metropolitan Seraphim: he became overweight, suffered from hypertension, shortness of breath, moved with difficulty, and practically did not leave the house. But the clarity of mind was amazing.

The Orthodox faith, which Metropolitan Seraphim carried through his whole life, under the conditions of Stalinist repressions, inevitably had to lead him to a martyr's death.

In November 1937, Bishop Seraphim was arrested for the third time. He was ill and they could not take him away on the "black crow", they had to call an ambulance. All property was confiscated, therefore, neither his correspondence, nor his books, nor musical works, nor icons, nor vestments remained. No information was given to his relatives; it is not even known in which prison he was imprisoned.

According to the stories of the Metropolitan himself, Father John of Kronstadt predicted to him the day of his death. He repeatedly repeated: "Remember the day of the Three Hierarchs." Every year Vladyka prepared for death on this day. According to available circumstantial evidence, he died on the day of the Three Hierarchs, February 12 (according to the new style), 1938. Daughters always wanted to know the real day of death. And then his daughter Natalia (nun Seraphim) had a dream: a shining father comes towards her and says to her: “Well, of course, on the day of the Three Hierarchs.”

There were conflicting accounts of his death. According to one - he died in the prison hospital of Lubyanka or Taganka prison; according to others, he was shot.

And only in October 1988, during the consideration of the case for rehabilitation by the prosecutor's office of the Moscow region, Vladyka's relatives were informed that he had been arrested for counter-revolutionary monarchist agitation, he pleaded not guilty. By the decision of the NKVD troika for M.O. dated December 7, 1937 Chichagov L.M. was sentenced to capital punishment. The sentence was carried out on December 11, 1937.

On November 10, 1988, Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov) was rehabilitated and the documents of the investigation files from the KGB special depository were issued to the relatives.

This is how His Eminence Seraphim (Chichagov) ended his life, sincerely serving the Lord and people, a hierarch devoted to the Orthodox Church, who accepted the death of a confessor.