Optina elders who are they and where. Optina Pustyn - the history of its foundation. Optina elders - who are they? Temples of Optina Hermitage

Brotherhood of Saints

Father Melchizedek, why exactly here, in the Optina Hermitage, did the phenomenon of old age arise? What is unique about this monastery?

About Optina Hermitage, historian G.P. Fedotov once said that Sarov and Optina Pustyn were the two hottest fires around which all of Russia warmed itself. Elder Barsanuphius of Optina, a former colonel of the headquarters of the imperial army, served in Kazan, and was several months away from being promoted to general - and suddenly he gave up everything to become a monk. Having lived in Optina Pustyn, he wrote the following lines in spiritual insight:

The skies are clearer here and their azure is purer...

Carrying a worldly yoke and performing sorrowful

The thorny path of life,

I was honored to see a glimpse of paradise.

This is the spiritual situation that has developed in Optina Pustyn.

About why Optina is amazing, one of our historians said this: many monasteries had their own ascetics - this was St. Sergius, and St. Nikon, and Elder Seraphim of Sarov, but in Optina there were not only saints - there was a holy brotherhood there. It was a unique center of spirituality - an entire monastery!

Bishop Ignatius (Brianchaninov), our greatest archpastor, who was a disciple of Elder Leo, wrote the following words about the rector of Optina Hermitage, Archimandrite Moses: “Father Moses, by patiently bearing the infirmities of his brethren, managed to gather in Optina Hermitage such a holy brotherhood, which has not existed and, I think, will not exist. in Russia". This is the assessment of an outstanding archpastor.

Once a candle was lit, many lamps flared up. Elders Leo and Macarius were present at the same time. Two elders at the same time! The Monk Ambrose was the spiritual child of the elders Leo and Macarius. The disciples of Elder Ambrose of Optina were Elders Joseph, Barsanuphius and Nektarios. And further, further, further... And it ended in 1938 with the execution of the last rector, Archimandrite Isaac (Bobrakov). It turns out that for about 100 years there has been an unbroken chain of holy people. And the uniqueness of Optina Hermitage lies in the fact that it became famous not for individuals, but here a whole holy monastic brotherhood was created.

Yes, there were problems, temptations, not everything went so smoothly, but the most important thing is that for 100 years these lamps did not stop.

The fact that there was a special Providence of God over the monastery is evidenced by the fact that there were no miraculous icons, no miraculous relics, or special shrines that would attract pilgrims. People flocked to Optina Pustyn for eldership and godly advice. It was the elders who became the glory of the monastery, a life-giving spiritual spring. Elder Barsanuphius of Optina once said:

Your sadness will disappear without difficulty,

And you will see in complete amazement

Another country's shining distance,

The land of the living, the land of promise.

The land of the living, the land of promise.

How would you interpret these words about Optina Pustyn: “land of the living”?

Why alive? Death can come much earlier than the heart stops, the kidneys fail, the brain stops functioning - death can come when faith and love leave life. And vice versa, when a person lives by faith and spirit, even if he lies like a log, paralyzed, but his head works, his heart works, such a person is more alive than all the living.

In Optina Hermitage there was a blind and paralyzed monk Karp. The brothers looked after him. And there was such a custom in the monastery: on great holidays the brethren came to sing church hymns, and one day one of them saw him in such an unhappy state and said in spiritual compassion: “Father Karp, what an unfortunate man you are! You just lie and lie!” - “Am I unhappy?! I'm not unhappy. Even though I’m lying down, I’m still looking at God.” One day this monk said to Elder Ambrose: “I feel so sorry for Father Karp... I worry about him: he’s an unfortunate man, he’s lying down, and he’s blind. We need to organize his care more carefully.” Elder Ambrose answered him: “Even though Karp is blind, he can see the light” - that is, there is such a powerful state of the human soul that overcomes suffering and bears the cross with gratitude. There was a whole country of such people. The land of the living, the land of promise.

“Russian people look for nothing more than shrines”

Why did they take up arms against the holy ascetics with such malice in the 20th century? Yes, even in the 19th century, the Church and its saints were, to put it mildly, not in honor among many educated people... They looked for shortcomings, kept watch for mistakes and failures...

The whole essence of the negative attitude towards the Church is explained by Dostoevsky. He once said: “A Russian man rejoices at nothing more than the fall of a righteous man, and says: “Ah-ah!” If such pillars, if such lamps have fallen, then what can be asked of us, ordinary people? If such people could not resist, then what are we, ordinary people?” And by the fall of the righteous they justify their sin and their wicked life.”

But the same Dostoevsky writes: Russian people seek nothing more than shrines and saints, in order to find them and them and worship them; and says: “I have untruth, I have sin, I have iniquity, but there must be somewhere this truth, this shrine, this purity, this holiness?” - he will seek her and bow to her.

And, by the way, Peter I once said: “Justifying one’s sins by referring to the sins of others is the same as washing oneself with mud.”

That’s why people flocked to Optina: because there really were ascetics here, and not just one or two, but a whole brotherhood.

Leo Tolstoy said an amazing thing about Elder Ambrose: “This almost paralyzed man, always sick and lying on his bed, who could barely cross himself, received tens and hundreds of visitors a day, barely telling them anything for the benefit of the soul, and people were drawn to him from all over Russia, and it seems to me that this man has done more for the spiritual life of Russia than all its life improvers.” Leo Tolstoy visited Optina several times. At the end of his life, he visited his sister, nun Maria, a resident of the Shamordino monastery, and told her: “You know, Mashka, I would agree to go to Optina Pustyn and become a simple novice there - (count, world famous writer!) - and perform work there any menial work, but only on one condition: that these monks do not force me to pray!

That is, the hardest work is spiritual work. Anything is easier: unloading wagons... - just don’t pray.

After all, almost all the pillars of our literature came here...

Even if we simply list those who revolved around Optina, we will understand its significance. There were so many writers alone who came here! Gogol visited Optina twice - in 1850 and 1851; Dostoevsky in 1876 is the best-selling writer, the most widely read writer, translated into many languages ​​of the world. And what an amazing inner vision of a person he has! In his book “The Brothers Karamazov” one recognizes Optina Pustyn: what he saw here, he depicted in this novel. But, of course, Elder Zosima is not Elder Ambrose, but for the first time the world became positively acquainted with monastic life and eldership from the inside thanks to Dostoevsky. His visit to Optina Pustyn played a significant role in his life, in his attitude towards faith, Orthodoxy and monasticism in general.

Peter and Ivan Kireevsky, Aksakov, Turgenev, philosopher Soloviev, writer Poselyanin, Sergei Nilus, Alexei Tolstoy, the Royal Family, Elisaveta Feodorovna, Konstantin Romanov - all of them were in Optina Pustyn. Among our contemporaries - Rasputin, Soloukhin, Belov, Solzhenitsyn...

Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev came as President of the Russian Federation...

Was this in 2010?

Yes. In 2010, Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, when he was President, was in Kozelsk and awarded Kozelsk the title of City of Military Glory, then he visited both Optina Hermitage and the Baptist Skete.

When the monastery didn’t know what to give him, they brought Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev to the cell of Elder Ambrose and said: “This great man lived in this cell, in this place.” And the head of the monastery, Father Tikhon, gave him a prayer of the Optina elders, beautifully designed, and said: “Do you want me to read it to you?” And he read a prayer, to which Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev remarked: “What a comprehensive prayer!”

There is some kind of simplicity and wisdom in this prayer that is understandable to everyone, and where it is simple, there are a hundred angels. How many times have we given it to various directors of brick factories, heads of printing houses, doctors, military men, and everyone was very grateful! And in many of the managers I visited, I saw it on the wall or on the table under glass. It is written in the Spirit and by the Spirit.

Why was this amazing prayer born in Optina?

Because Optina Pustyn is a golden cup into which all the best, spiritual wine of Russia was poured. The saints visited many monasteries, but the holy brotherhood was found only here. The elders lived by God, breathed by God, and among the elders God was in first place, and when God is in first place, then everything else is in its place. Then the mind and heart are enlightened, and from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks such divinely inspired prayers.

God listens to the obedient

Why is it so important for us to know and preserve the experience of the elders?

Because whoever is his own adviser is his own enemy. Father John (Krestyankin) told me: “Read the books of the Optina elders: in them you will find answers to all your spiritual questions.” After all, it is important for us to have the opinion of the holy fathers and apply it in a given situation, and not act from our own mind. What remains are the works of the elders, their letters, testimonies about their lives - much has now been published, and salvation, as we know, lies largely in advice.

How do you see the phenomenon of senility?

The following words could be written on the gravestone of many people: they lived and did not know why they lived. The Optina elders knew what they lived for. They knew, perhaps, a little, but they knew almost everything about the main thing, and this knowledge about the main thing is spiritual genius. What is eldership? – This is spiritual genius. What is genius? – It’s 90% labor and 10% inspiration from above. All this did not arise out of nowhere. God listens to the obedient. Each of the elders was a student at one time. It is better to be called a disciple of a disciple than to collect the useless fruits of self-will. And for this discipleship, for sincere obedience, the Lord gave them gifts, which they themselves later shared: the gift of healing, the gift of vision of spiritual life... (Note: and the worst thing is the imitation of such a gift. When people who do not have this gift acted like this, as if they had this gift - they guided a person without seeing God’s will for him.)

Elder Ambrose used to hesitate in answering the question asked of him: “But I haven’t heard yet.” That is, each of the Optina elders sought to hear the will of God. Each of them was obedient. And God listens to the obedient.

Was Elder Ambrose's teacher the Monk Leo?

Elder Leo, who called him a chimera, a barren flower, but this was already a feature of Elder Leo. He loved him endlessly and reproached him for spiritual benefit, knowing that he could bear it.

“For a monk, reproach and moralizing are the same as a brush for rusty iron,” said Elder Ambrose. Elder Leo did this out of love. “And he diligently removed the rust from me,” recalled Elder Ambrose.

Which of the Optina elders is closest to you?

Probably Leo, Macarius, Ambrose, Barsanuphius. But in terms of character, they are probably Barsanuphius and Leo.

Understand why you live

Father Melchizedek, you were one of the first inhabitants of the Optina Hermitage, revived in 1988. Have you been here before?

In 1984. I was studying at the seminary then. And then the weekend came - November 7th and 8th. I once heard that there is such a Vvedenskaya Optina Pustyn... And I went there with a friend. At the Kievsky station we met two more students who had the same idea. Then two of these four in 1988 became inhabitants of the Vvedenskaya Optina Monastery - Hieromonk Theophylact (Bezukladnikov), who is now an archimandrite and governor of the New Jerusalem Monastery, and me.

ADid the Optina elders say anything about the future revival of Russia?

Elder Anatoly of Optina had a prophecy: “The ship will be broken, but they will be saved on the wreckage and chips. But it will not be so with Russia: by the will of God, the ship will reassemble in all its glory and will go on its own God-established course. Russia will rise up and will be poor in material terms, but rich in spirit, and in Optina there will still be seven pillars and seven lamps.”

Why does the flow of pilgrims to monasteries not stop now?

Ivan Ilyin said: “There is an inescapable craving for shrines in the human soul.” And Dostoevsky defined this for centuries, writing: “A Russian person, if he does not understand why he should live, he will not want to live, and will rather destroy himself, even if there is only bread around.” Therefore, people are not looking for bread, but are looking for meaning. There are two important days in a person’s life: the day he was born, and the day he realized why he was born. And people sometimes live as if they will never have to die, and die as if they will never have to live. But let me remind you: he who is his own adviser is his own enemy; it is better to be called a student’s student. That's why we were looking for guidance so as not to mess things up. For example, F.M. Dostoevsky in 1876, after the death of his son Alexei, came hundreds of miles from St. Petersburg to Optina!

Optina Pustyn is a kind of spiritual focus, from contact with which the spirit ignites, as if under a magnifying glass. Elder Anatoly of Optina said: do not fight off the Optina Hermitage; how many she has made and how many more she will make celestials!

With Archimandrite Melchizedek (Artyukhin)
interviewed by Nikita Filatov

Surrounded by forest, on the banks of the Zhizdra River, far from the noisy cities where Optina Pustyn is located, stands an ancient monastery, which was of great importance before the Bolsheviks came to power.

Today, when the Orthodox Church in our country is experiencing a period of revival, attention to this ancient monastery is returning.

Numerous churches that were closed during Soviet times have become accessible to believers. Their magnificent architecture pleases everyone, regardless of religion. The kingdom of Faith, Hope and Love is being reborn.

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Geographical location and place on the map

Optina Pustyn has the following GPRS coordinates: 54.053416, 35.831969. Located in the Kaluga region.

Pilgrimage trips from Moscow to the Holy Places of Russia. can be found at the pilgrimage center “To the Origins”.

The distance from the regional center is 79 kilometers, from the capital of Russia - 256 kilometers, from St. Petersburg - 935 kilometers. And the shortest distance from the nearest town called Kozelsk is only 2000 meters.

Brief history of the monastery

People lived on the modern territory of the Kaluga region for a very long time. During excavations, archaeologists found sites of Stone Age people. Kozelsk was mentioned in chronicles already in 1146.

The small town became famous for its unprecedented resistance to the Tatar-Mongols in 1238. For seven weeks the huge army could not take Kozelsk. After its capture, the town was burned to the ground and turned into a wasteland, glorious warriors and residents were killed.

The history of the monastery begins much later. The exact date of foundation of the monastery is unknown, but in 1625 it already existed. A secluded, deserted place in the middle of the forest was chosen by the hermits for the monastery. In the 17th century there were only monks' cells and a wooden church. At the same time, the Vvedensky Cathedral was built.

During the reign of Peter I, the monks were almost deprived of their livelihood, the mill and river crossing were taken away, and fishing was prohibited. And then it was decided to close the monastery, however, it was only inactive for 2 years, and the monastery was empty for a short time.

Metropolitan of Moscow Platon

Metropolitan Platon of Moscow and Bishop Philaret of Kaluga played a huge role in the revival of the monastery.

It is important to know: The role of Father Abraham, appointed rector of Optina Pustyn, is great. It was he who introduced the way of life in the monastery that lasted until the 20th century - the time the monastery was closed.

His concern for the material well-being of the monastery, the repair of dilapidated church buildings, and the attraction of believers from the surrounding area over the many years of his activity made the monastery famous not only in the Kaluga province, but also beyond its borders.

Moscow Metropolitan Filaret

The most important period in the life of Optina Pustyn was the time when Philaret became Metropolitan of Moscow. Despite his high clergy, Filaret loved a quiet, silent life, and therefore patronized the monastery and visited it often.

Note: under Filaret, a kilometer from the monastery, the monastery of John the Baptist was built, which became the place of life for all the elders of Optina Pustyn.

Many books have been written about eldership in Rus'. This unique, purely Russian phenomenon dates back to the times of Sergius of Radonezh. An elder, as a rule, is a priest - a monk who provides spiritual guidance and mentoring to people who come to the monastery. This guidance takes place in the form of conversations or advice, as well as in correspondence with spiritual children.

Elder hermits

Filaret invited the first hermit elders to Optina Hermitage. Here this amazing phenomenon flourished most, making the monastery the spiritual center of Russia.

Interesting fact: The monastery became famous not for architectural miracles, not for ancient icons, but for the great Optina elders.

For almost a century, a huge number of pilgrims flocked to the Optina Monastery to receive advice, instructions, and spiritual help. Among the visitors to Optina there were many celebrities: N.V. Gogol, F.M. Dostoevsky, L.N. Tolstoy, philosopher V.S. Soloviev, V.A. Zhukovsky, S.T. Aksakov, F.I. Tyutchev, P.I. Tchaikovsky, A.L. Chizhevsky and many others.

Monastery after the revolution and the USSR

After the October Revolution, the spiritual center of Russia was closed in 1918. There was an agricultural artel, a museum, a sawmill, a tannery, where monks and elders worked and also secretly continued religious activities. Pilgrims continued to go to the monastery.

The succession of various organizations on the territory of the monastery was replaced by the Rest House. A concentration camp was set up here in 1939.. It accommodated more than five thousand Poles who were shot at Katyn.

With the beginning of the Second World War, a hospital for the wounded was needed, and the Optina Monastery was chosen as the site. Already three years after the start of the war, the hospital was converted into an NKVD camp, intended for captured Soviet officers returning from Germany to their homeland. In 1949, the camp was replaced by a military unit.

1987 is the year of the return of Optina Pustyn to the Russian Orthodox Church. The very first liturgy was celebrated in June 1988 in the gate tower. Many years of work lay ahead to restore the holy monastery.

Current state of the monastery

Vvedensky Cathedral

Immediately after the transfer of the monastery to the church, its restoration began. Elder Elijah headed the work. It was not only about returning the churches to their original appearance, but also about the spiritual revival of the monastery, about returning Optina to its significance as the most important center of Orthodoxy.

Today there are 8 functioning churches in excellent condition on the territory. In addition to the temples, other buildings were also restored:

• The Vvedensky Cathedral is the main church of the monastery. The shrine with the holy relics of St. Ambrose is located in the northern limit, the shrine with the holy relics of Fr. Nectaria - in the refectory;
• The Vladimir Church was rebuilt on the site of a hospital church that had not survived. This temple is the tomb of the seven great elders of the monastery: Leo, Macarius, Hilarion, Anatoly, Joseph, Barsanuphius, Anatoly;
• The monastery where the Optina elders lived was also restored. But access to it is closed to everyone except monks who serve in divine services day and night;
• The infirmary tower is adjacent to the hospital building. Today a hotel for pilgrims is open here.

What about the elders? Are they in the monastery today?

This is interesting: Elder Elijah, who lived in the monastery for 20 years, today is the confessor of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', the confessor of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and Optina Pustyn. Considering the elder’s venerable age - he is 85 years old - and the burden of his spiritual father’s affairs, he is practically elusive and inaccessible to ordinary people.

But the glory of the monastery is still great. Pilgrims and believers who want to become monastery workers come here in search of peace and meaning in life. Since July 14, 2018, Bishop Leonid of Mozhaisk has been the abbot of the monastery.

Optina elders

The monastery, built under Filaret, became the place where the Optina elders lived. For a century and a half, this place became a source of grace for hundreds of people who came here.

Optina Elder Father Ambrose

Many written testimonies, books, and memoirs have been preserved about the 14 elders who lived in the monastery in the 19th and 20th centuries. A lot has become known thanks to the archive of the monastery, which in 1928 was taken by the poetess N. Pavlovich to the library named after. Lenin.

The elders were not only spiritual teachers of their parishioners. Many of them had the gift of foresight and healing. There are many documented cases of their healing of terminally ill patients.

Among all the Optina elders, Father Ambrose stands out for his ascetic life. The scope of spiritual mentoring by Fr. Ambrose is amazed. Every day a crowd of people from all over Russia and from abroad gathered at his modest cell. In addition to personal conversations, Fr. Ambrose maintained an extensive correspondence, and he was a very sick man.

In the diary of Fr. Ambrose has preserved records about how the work of eldership was beyond his strength, about the lack of sufficient time for prayer, about the lack of strength to overcome the road to the monastery. For his service Fr. Ambrose received a rare award - a golden pectoral cross.

Shamordino Women's Monastery

Father Ambrose became the founder of the Shamordino women's monastery, which still exists today. Here the priest spent a lot of time, finding the solitude and peace he needed so much.

Father Nektary

By the beginning of the revolution, three elders lived in the monastery: Nektary, Nikon and Anatoly II. Their fates turned out differently:

• O. Nektaria arrested in 1923, taken into custody, then demanded to leave the region. O. Nektary obeyed, he went to the Bryansk region and settled there with his spiritual son. Even to this distant village to Fr. Spiritual children came to Nectarius. He died in 1928 from illnesses. Seven years later, robbers arrived at the cemetery, wanting to find treasures and get rich. Tearing open the elder's grave, they saw an incorruptible body;
• O. Nikon After the monastery closed, he worked a lot, trying to provide food for the remaining monks. In 1924 he moved to Kozelsk and served in the Assumption Church. In 1927, Fr. Nikon was arrested and after three years of imprisonment in the Kemperpunkt camp, in unbearable living conditions, he was sent to the North, to Pinega. He died in 1931 from tuberculosis in the arms of an Optina monk at the age of 43;
• O. Anatoly Potapov continued his religious activities in Kozelsk and its environs, despite the Bolshevik ban on serving. He refused to leave and in 1923 he was arrested. There were several of them in Fr.'s life. Anatoly II, as a result he was accused of counter-revolutionary activities and executed in 1938.

Thus ended the amazing age of old age. A tradition has been interrupted, the revival of which will take a very long time.

Monastery in the spiritual life of Russia

The enormous significance in the life of Russia can be assessed by the example of the influence of a visit to the monastery on the worldview and work of three great writers - N.V. Gogol, L.N. Tolstoy and F.M. Dostoevsky:

• N.V. Gogol visited the monastery three times. The timing of the first visit coincided with a deep spiritual crisis, aggravated by illness. A writer who has already written his best works is tormented by doubts about the correctness of his chosen field. Gogol felt the calling of a monk, dreamed of living in Optina Pustina, praying for the sins of people. The writer's gift of genius contradicted his religious beliefs. This was his tragedy. But the elders, many of whom were very educated people, and, of course, read his works, did everything possible so that the literary world did not lose the writer. Long conversations with Fr. Makariy, Fr. Porfiry and the monks of the monastery had a beneficial influence on Nikolai Vasilyevich. Father Porfiry subsequently conducted a long correspondence with the writer, was his friend and mentor;
• Leo Tolstoy visited the monastery several times. One day he and his companions came here on foot. The great writer's relationship with the church was complex. Even repeated conversations with Elder Ambrose did not return him to the fold of Orthodoxy. But here’s the strange thing: while disagreeing with the elders on religious issues, the writer considered visiting the monastery a very important event in his life;
• In 1878, the great Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky lived here for some time. The writer’s youngest son, Alyosha, dearly beloved by his father, died of epilepsy. In the monastery the writer met and talked with Fr. Ambrose, who became the prototype of Elder Zosima in the writer’s last novel, The Brothers Karamazov.

What you must visit and see

The relics of Fr. Ambrose and Fr. Nectaria

Unfortunately, due to the tragic history of the monastery, there are almost no old buildings left on its territory. Everything had to be rebuilt, practically from ruins. And yet there are many important shrines here, which will be useful and interesting to look at even for a non-believer.

The monks of the monastery did a lot to restore spirituality to this holy place. This is felt by any person, regardless of faith, who finds himself here.

So what is worth visiting:

• Arriving at the monastery, you must definitely attend the service in the main Vvedensky Cathedral. Services are especially solemn during church holidays, as well as on the Days of Remembrance of the Great Optina Elders. In the temple you can venerate the relics of Fr. Ambrose and Fr. Nectaria, pray, just stand or light a candle at the miraculous icon of the Kazan Mother of God, which is located to the right of the altar;

Keep in mind: The territory of the monastery is closed to visitors, but to walk along the road along which the elders went to pray means to some extent to penetrate their world.

Vladimir Church

• Behind the Vvedensky Cathedral is the Vladimir Church with a small blue dome with stars. Here are the relics of the six great elders of Optina;
• The holy monastery springs are famous for numerous healings and miracles. Optina's three springs are no exception:
• One of them, the most famous, is located on the territory of the monastery, in honor of Paphnutius of Borovsk the Wonderworker;
• Source in honor of Fr. Ambrose is located not far from the monastery;
• The third source in honor of Sergius of Radonezh is hydrogen sulfide. It was recently rediscovered by monks. There is a bath here, immersion in the waters of which gives an extraordinary surge of strength.

It is worth not only drinking holy water from any source, but also taking it home. Holy water will last a long time. It should be drunk in the morning, after reading a special prayer before taking holy water, or in case of illness of family members. But everything must be done in faith. And it’s probably impossible to count how many people gained faith thanks to visiting Optina Pustyn...

Information for pilgrims and tourists

How to get there

You can travel by train or bus from the capital to

The first is “The Humble Lion” (1768-1841)

Venerable Leo (Nagolkin)

Memory 11/24 October.
Hieroschemamonk Leo, who is considered the first of the elders, was called “Humble Leo.” In 1797 Lev Nagolkin, a merchant employee, became a novice, and in 1801 he was tonsured with the name Leonid.
The arduous journey of the ascetic begins, during which Leonid changed several monasteries.

Useful materials

He returned in 1829, already as a schema-monk Lev. Since that time, 61-year-old Fr. Leo is a fraternal confessor. He had to constantly endure persecution: he was evicted from his cell, forbidden to wear the schema, and denunciations were written. And at the same time to Fr. People were streaming towards the lion. Several volumes of his miracles are recorded - from clairvoyance to casting out demons.
From the teachings:

Elder Macarius (1788-1860)

Venerable Macarius (Ivanov)

O. Macarius (Mikhail Ivanov), a poor nobleman, went towards monasticism almost from childhood. He came to the monastery as a monk and took monastic vows for 22 years. Fr. Macarius considered himself the spiritual son of Fr. Leo, but Fr. Leo saw him more as a friend and associate.

In 1841 Fr. Macarius replaced Fr. Leo in his old age. Macarius, a lover of silence, was burdened by the constant need to talk to people who came and answer a huge number of letters. But Father Macarius humbly submitted to the will of God. Apparently, this is why this quiet monk, who never dreamed of himself, performed many miracles. The most famous are the miracles of casting out demons that cannot stand humility.
From the teachings:

“If there is humility, everything is there, if there is no humility, there is nothing.”

Schema-Archimandrite Moses (1782–1862)

Venerable Moses (Putilov)

Elder Moses (secular name Timofey Putilov) took monastic vows at the Svensk Monastery. In 1820 Fr. Moses was invited to the monastery at Optina Pustyn, and soon, unexpectedly for him, he was appointed abbot of the monastery.

During his abbess, churches, a hotel, and many outbuildings were erected. Contemporaries recall that more than once the abbot began construction with literally 15 rubles. But the time came to pay the workers, purchase materials - and a benefactor always appeared, “by chance” wanting to donate exactly the required amount. At the same time, the monastery fed the poor, received pilgrims, and the hand of the giver did not become scarce.

From the teachings:

“If you pray from your heart for salvation, even if it is a little, you will be saved.”

Schema-abbot Anthony (1795 – 1865)

Venerable Anthony (Putilov)

Memory 7/20 August
Elder Anthony, in the world Alexander Putilov is the brother of Fr. Moses. . Having dreamed of monasticism since childhood, he secretly went to his brother’s monastery in secret from his parents. When did Fr. Moses became the abbot of the monastery, Anthony headed the monastery hostel. Quite young in comparison with the elderly and experienced brethren, the abbot gained universal love. Seeing the senile infirmity of the monks, he often performed all obediences alone.

Since 1836 Fr. Anthony was seriously ill. Almost no one realized that his legs to the knees were covered with bleeding ulcers. Despite the illness, Fr. Anthony helped his brother a lot in construction matters, and for some time he himself was the abbot of the monastery of St. Nicholas, Maloyaroslavets.
From the teachings:

“Do not impose any vows or rules on yourself without the approval of your spiritual father, with whose advice one bow will bring you more benefit than a thousand self-made bows.”

Hieroschemamonk Hilarion (1805–1873), missionary and confessor

Venerable Hilarion (Ponomarev)

Memory September 18/October 1
Elder Hilarion in the world is Rodion Ponomarev. Since childhood, his mother said that Rodion would be a monk. The attraction to the spiritual manifested itself from his youth: Rodion became interested in missionary work among the Old Believers, even creating a brotherhood. But this did not satisfy him. At the age of 34, Rodion became a novice, cell attendant of Father Macarius, under whose leadership his spiritual growth took place. Father Hilarion was distinguished by wisdom, insight, and most importantly, by deep humility.
From the teachings:

“If you feel that anger has seized you, remain silent and do not say anything until your heart is calmed by unceasing prayer and self-reproach.”

Father Ambrose (1812-1891)

Venerable Ambrose (Grenkov)

Memory: October 10/23, June 27/July 10
Father Ambrose, in the world Alexander Grenkov, the son of a priest, graduated from the seminary. Lively and cheerful, the young man had many friends. Only a dangerous illness in 1835 turned Alexander to monastic life, but he took monastic vows only in 1842. In 1845 he became a hieromonk.

Soon Fr. Ambrose was given the cross of a serious illness. I had to leave the staff, and the priest’s main task was obedience to his confessor.

K o. Hundreds of people flocked to Ambrose. Sometimes a few words were enough for despondency to recede and strength to appear. Many miracles of insight and healing are known. O. Ambrose founded a convent for women in Shamordino.

From the teachings:

“Living simpler is best. Don't break your head. Pray to God. The Lord will arrange everything.”

Elder Anatoly (1824-1894)

Rev. Anatoly (Zertsalov)

Memory: June 27/July 10
Hieroschemamonk Anatoly (Alexey Zertsalov), the son of a priest, graduated from the seminary, but pursued a secular career as an official. The young man survived the revolution during his illness. Having vowed to become a monk if he received healing, he soon recovered. In 1853 he came to Optina and was a novice for 9 years. In 1862, Alexy took monastic vows with the name Anatoly. Became his spiritual father. St. Ambrose.

In 1873 Fr. Anatoly became the rector of the St. John the Baptist monastery and fraternal confessor. Elder Ambrose spoke of his spiritual son as a great man of prayer.

From the teachings:

“We are obliged to love everyone, but we do not dare demand that they love us.”

Schema-Archimandrite Isaac (1810-1894)

Schema-Archimandrite Isaac (Antimonov)

O. Isaac, in the world Ivan Antimonov - the son of a merchant, first came to Optina as a young man. Elder Leo then predicted the monastic path for him. But until the age of 37, Ivan, obedient to his father, conducted trading business. In 1847 the desire for monasticism turned out to be stronger. Ivan took monastic vows at the age of 44 with the name Isaac. Out of humility, the monk avoided the priesthood for a long time, and became a hieromonk at the insistence of his confessor.

Fr. Isaac presided after Fr. Moses. Under Isaac, all construction work begun by his predecessor was completed, and his own candle factory appeared. Father Isaac himself did not undertake a single undertaking without the blessing of Father Ambrose. After his death, Fr. Isaac soon abandoned his abbotship and accepted the schema.

From the teachings:

“Love God and your neighbors, love the Church of God, in church services, in prayer, seek not earthly, but heavenly blessings”

Elder Joseph (1837-1911)

Venerable Joseph (Litovkin)

Hieroschemamonk Joseph (Litovkin), in the world John - from the peasants, was an orphan, and began to work early. It was hard, but the young man remained kind, merciful, and honest. One pious merchant suggested that Ivan marry his daughter. But the young man chose monasticism.

In 1861, Ivan became a novice and cell attendant to Fr. Ambrose, took monastic vows with the name Joseph. With o. He lived as Ambrose for 30 years. Spiritual gifts of Fr. Joseph's were great, although he hid them. It is known about the repeated appearances of the Mother of God to him. After the death of Fr. Ambrose Hieromonk Joseph served as a fraternal confessor for 20 years.

From the teachings:

“If you see a mistake in your neighbor that you would like to correct, if it disturbs your peace of mind and irritates you, then you also sin... You cannot correct a mistake with an error - it is corrected with meekness.”

Elder Barsanuphius (1845-1913)

Venerable Barsanuphius (Plikhankov)

Father Barsanuphius (Plikhankov), known as Paul in the world, came to monasticism as a mature man. Born into a wealthy family, he had a brilliant military career, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. The spiritual revolution began with a meeting with Elder Ambrose, who directly predicted Paul’s monasticism. 2 years later, Paul, during his illness, had a vision of heavenly light. One night, the old life became impossible.

In 1892 he came to Optina, became the cell attendant of Elder Nektarios, and in 1900 he took monastic vows with the name Barsanuphius. In 1907-1912. Father Barsanuphius was the head of the monastery, then appointed rector of the Spaso-Golutvinsky monastery. And numerous pilgrims came here to see him. The miracles of healing performed by him are also known.

From the teachings:

“You cannot learn to fulfill God’s commandments without labor, and this labor is threefold - prayer, fasting and sobriety.”

Elder Anatoly “Junior” (1855-1922)

Rev. Anatoly (Potapov)

In the world about. Anatoly bore the name Alexandra, was born into a merchant family, and was engaged in trade. He dreamed of becoming a monk, but his mother was against it. Only in 1885 did Alexander become a novice. He bore the obedience of a cell attendant to the elders Ambrose and Joseph. In 1895, Alexander became monk Anatoly.

His spiritual growth turned out to be very rapid. Not yet having holy orders, he shows the gift of insight, often telling people their sins. When in 1906 Fr. Anatoly becomes a hieromonk, the number of visitors to him increases many times over.

After 1917, attempts began to close the monastery. Fr. attracted special attention from the authorities. Anatoly.

Interesting fact

On July 29, 1922, the priest was going to be arrested. O. Anatoly asked for one more day. When the security officers reappeared at the monastery on July 30, the elder had already died.

From the teachings:

“Live simply, according to your conscience, always remember that the Lord sees, and don’t pay attention to the rest!”

The last elder Nektariy (1853-1928)

Venerable Nektarios (Tikhonov)

Hieroschemamonk Nektary (Tikhonov) is the last fraternal confessor. His worldly name is Nikolai Tikhonov. He came from a poor family, was left an orphan early, and worked. One merchant, who loved Nicholas for his hard work and honesty, decided to marry his daughter to him. The young man went to Optina for a blessing for his marriage. But after meeting with Rev. Ambrose, he remained in the monastery in 1887 and took monastic vows with the estate of Nektarios.

Nektary quickly grew spiritually, but hid his talents with foolishness. In 1912, the brethren chose him as their confessor.

In 1923, the authorities closed the monastery. O. Nektary was arrested, then released, but demanded to leave. His refuge became the village. Hills of Bryansk region. Spiritual children came here. There is evidence that Patriarch Tikhon addressed the priest.

From the teachings:

“You ask which way to go to God. Walk the path of humility!”

Rev. Nikon (1888-1931)

Reverend Nikon

Hieromonk Nikon (Belyaev), in the world Nikolai Belyaev, entered the monastery in 1907. His pious family did not interfere with him, although the young man studied at the university and had a good future ahead of him. In 1915, Nikolai was tonsured with the name Nikon, and 2 years later he became a hieromonk.

Service Fr. Nikon came in the post-revolutionary period. He was arrested several times (1919, 1920). In 1923, after the monastery was closed, the rector, Fr. Isaac, blessed Fr. Nikon to receive the people. This had to be done in Kozelsk. Here about. Nikon was arrested in 1927 and exiled to the North. In exile, he died of tuberculosis.

From the teachings:

“We must love every person, seeing in him the image of God, despite his vices. You can’t push people away from you with coldness.”

Archimandrite Isaac (1865-1938)

Archimandrite Isaac II (Bobrakov)

Isaac (Bobrakov), in the world Ivan, the son of peasant parents, came to the monastery at the age of 19. The holy fool who was here said:

“Bow at his feet, this will be the last Optina archimandrite!”

The prophecy alarmed Ivan - he did not at all strive to be someone significant, he wanted to live by work and prayer. Ivan did not even dare to take monastic vows for 14 years, until 1898. In 1913, the brethren elected him rector.

In 1923 the monastery was closed, the remaining brethren gathered in Kozelsk, in the church of St. George. Here all the monks were arrested in 1929, many received exile. Father Isaac was arrested several times; 1937 was the year of his last arrest. The archimandrite was shot on the feast of the Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos in 1938.

Day of Remembrance

Icons

Cathedral of the Venerable Optina Elders

In 2000, after canonization, icons appeared depicting all 14 Optina saints.

At the top of the icon is a monastery, above which is an image of the Most Holy Theotokos. The saints are usually represented in the center of the icon. Leo and Ambrose. In the hand of St. Lev - scroll: “Brothers, let us take care of the salvation of our souls...”. St. Ambrose also holds a scroll with the words "Love above all...". An open book is sometimes written in the hand of Elder Macarius, in it are his famous words: “If there is humility, everything is there...”.

There is also a version of the icon, where the elders Ambrose and Macarius hold two scrolls with one prophecy: on the scroll of Fr. Ambrose - the words “Russia will be reborn”, on the scroll of Fr. Macarius - “... And in Optina there will be seven lamps.” The elders stand on either side of St. A lion holding an icon of the Virgin Mary.

We recognize Elder Moses among the saints: he holds the temple, a reminder of the significance of the work of temple building. Other elders are represented holding scrolls of their scriptures, and the venerable confessors and martyrs are represented with crosses.

The variants of the monks’ attire are also different: as a rule, this is a schema, but there are also icons depicting them in ordinary monastic robes.

How do the reverend fathers help those who pray to them?

During their lifetime, the Optina elders spiritually nurtured people on the path to salvation, and continue to do so to this day. They are prayed to:

• about strengthening faith;
• about the granting of repentance;
• about choosing a life path;
• about mental and physical health.

Vvedenskaya Mother of God Monastery Optina Pustyn: history, where it is located

The time of the founding of Optina Pustyn is not known exactly; modern scientists talk about the 13th, 14th, or even 16th centuries. Versions of the name also differ. According to one of them, it comes from the name of one of the first inhabitants, a former robber of Opta, who performed a feat of repentance here.

Optina Pustyn

A more widespread and thorough version is that “optina” in Rus' was the name for monasteries of mixed composition, where both monks and nuns lived. Such monasteries often spontaneously arose where ascetics settled. The Optin monastery could also have appeared as a result of ruin, when the inhabitants of the monastery moved to another. This could create a mixed community. This often happened in Rus', for example, during the Mongol yoke.

Interesting fact

The ban on “optina” monasteries began to apply only from the end of the 15th century.

Information about the history of the monastery in the 16th-17th centuries. minimal, since the 18th century. it was completely deserted. Heyday and fame began in the 19th century. with the emergence of elder ministry here.

Now Optina Pustyn is a stauropegial monastery 4 km from the city of Kozelsk.

The heart of the monastery is the Cathedral of the Entry of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple, restored after the destruction of the Soviet years. There are now 8 temples in total, 4 of which are always open to pilgrims. In addition to Vvedensky - Kazansky, Vladimirsky and Preobrazhensky.

Other churches are located on the territory of the monastery, pilgrimage hotels, and in the monastery cemetery. Some of them are closed to the laity; in others, services are not held every day. The chapel on the graves of Hieromonk Vasily and the monks Ferapont and Trofim, who were killed on Easter 1993, enjoys special veneration.

On Easter night, three inhabitants of the Optina Hermitage were killed: hieromonk Vasily (Roslyakov) and monks Ferapont (Pushkarev) and Trofim (Tatarnikov).

There is also the monastery of St. John the Baptist, where since the 19th century. the beginning of old age has been laid. Now it is closed to pilgrims, but lay people can visit the cell of St. Ambrose. Four times a year, the so-called “open” liturgy is also celebrated, with the participation of pilgrims. This happens on the days of St. John the Baptist and on Bright Monday. The number of brethren in the monastery is about 10 people.

Monastery address: Kaluga region, Optina Pustyn village, near the town of Kozelsk.

The thoughts of the elders about spiritual life are contained in their letters, which were carefully collected by admirers and then published. Each of these collections consists of several volumes.

About Christian life

“Not only we sinners, but also the saints themselves are unable to help those who themselves do not try to correct themselves. Try in your anger to rely on God’s help and you will be saved, and the Lord will help you in everything” (St. Leo).

“Whoever has a bad heart should not despair, because with God’s help a person can correct his heart. You just need to carefully monitor yourself and not miss the opportunity to be useful to your neighbors, often open up to the elder and give alms within your power. This, of course, cannot be done suddenly, but the Lord is patient. He only ends a person’s life when he sees him ready for the transition to eternity or when he sees no hope for his correction” (St. Ambrose).

“A sure sign of the death of the soul is avoidance of church services. A person who grows cold towards God, first of all, begins to avoid going to church, first tries to come to the service later, and then completely stops visiting the temple of God.” (St. Barsanuphius)

On patience with sorrows and illnesses

“We do not know the destinies of God, He works everything for good; we are attached to the blessings here, but He wants to give us future blessings through short illnesses here” (St. Macarius)

“Bodily illnesses are sent to a person from God, not always for sin as punishment, but sometimes also out of good will for liberation or to protect us from mental illnesses, which are much more dangerous than physical ones” (St. Anthony).

Predictions about Russia and the end times

Turn of the XIX-XX centuries. was a time of anticipation of coming upheavals. The elders also spoke about this.

“There will be a storm. The Russian ship will be destroyed. But people also save themselves on chips and debris. And yet not everyone will die. We must pray, we must all repent and pray fervently. And what happens after a storm? After a storm there is calm. But that ship is no longer there, it’s broken, everything is lost!... Not like that, a great miracle of God will be revealed, yes... And all the chips and fragments, by the will of God and His power, will gather and unite, and the ship will be recreated in its beauty and will go its way, intended by God . So this will be a miracle obvious to everyone” (St. Anatoly II (Junior), February 1917)

“And yet this is not the end! Russia will be saved. Much suffering, much torment. All of Russia will become a prison, and we must beg the Lord a lot for forgiveness. Repent of sins and be afraid to commit even the slightest sin, but try to do good, even the smallest. After all, the wing of a fly has weight, but God has precise scales. And when the slightest good outweighs the good, then God will show His mercy over Russia” (Archim. Iskaakiy, the last abbot of the monastery, was shot in 1938)

“If at least a few faithful Orthodox remain in Russia, God will have mercy on it” (St. Nektary of Optina)

Optina and the intelligentsia

In the XIX - early XX centuries. Representatives of the educated class often went to the monastery. The Kireevsky brothers, the philosopher Konstantin Leontyev (later the monk Clement), N.V. Gogol, L.N. Tolstoy, F.M. Dostoevsky, P.I. Tchaikovsky, the Aksakov brothers, A.S. Khomyakov, historian S.M. Soloviev, Grand Duke Konstantin Romanov (known as a poet under the pseudonym “K.R.”) and many others.

The monastery then played a missionary role for the intelligentsia. Since the 18th century representatives of the intellectual elite, cut off from their native roots and having received a European education, were in a spiritual vacuum. Spiritual quests led to the spread of occult practices and a passion for Freemasonry. The example of living holiness shown by the Optina elders often turned the whole world of the Russian intellectual upside down.

This happened with N.V. Gogol, K.N. Leontiev, F.M. Dostoevsky. But there were also many for whom meeting the elder did not change anything. About L.N. Tolstoy, who came to St. Ambrose, the elder said with contrition: “What a proud man!”

Are there any elders now?

The elder ministry could not be revived quickly after many years of atheism. Therefore, the word “elder” is now used with great caution. Nevertheless, the Church now knows confessors whose talents are comparable to those of the ascetics of the past. Among them, according to many, is the confessor of the brethren of Optina Pustyn, Fr. Iliy (Nozdrin). O. Iliy is also the confessor of Patriarch Kirill.

Who are they, the Optina elders? Devotees of the distant past? Then why is it so effective to treat them as if they were alive? Perhaps because for saints there are no boundaries of either time or space. Their elder service is not over and continues. Or perhaps it is still being transmitted. From teacher to student.

Optina elders. Reading them, some will enjoy the wonderful living language XIX century, others will unexpectedly discover things that are acutely modern.

Let us also, in the days of the memory of St. Ambrose and the Council of the Optina Elders, continue to communicate with them through their lives, letters, instructions, so that our lives will be illuminated by their wisdom, like the rays of the soft October sun.

Optina Pustyn

“...I have never met such monks.

It seemed to me that everything heavenly was talking to each of them.”

N.V. Gogol

From century to century, the blessed source of wisdom of the elders of Optina Pustyn flows into Eternal Life and brings healing to all who seek salvation and freedom in Christ. Freedom from the laws of the world, from one’s own passions, that perfect freedom that is defined by the words of the Savior: “The Kingdom of God is within you.”

The elders were those experienced “guides” who helped people find their way to Him here on earth. Their instructions are simple. Every true teacher descends to the level of a student in order to help him rise to the highest levels of knowledge, and the Optina monks condescended to the “infancy” of their pupils, and spoke in such a way that their word would benefit both the scientist and the simple peasant. Thanks to this, Optina Pustyn gave Russia a real “treasure” of spiritual knowledge, contained in brief instructions.

"Milk of Words"

The Monk Ambrose was an unsurpassed master of such spiritual teachings. They drove to him from everywhere on carts, walked many miles on foot, old and young, just to hear him, to ask for his blessing while the priest was alive. They understood that this was a gift for life.

In the small reception area they waited their turn, sitting in a row, not bothering. From time to time, the cell attendant, Father Joseph, quietly nodded to the next visitor. On fine days Fr. Ambrose himself went out to the pilgrims on the porch. There are apparently no people around, but there are even more letters on the priest’s table. So, he tried to express the essence in short answers, so that it would be better remembered.

In the world, before leaving for the monastery, he had a cheerful and lively character, and in the monastery this liveliness turned into spiritual joy with the mountains. Light breathing and a joke marked his brief instructions.

Here, for example, about the main thing - about the cause of troubles and falls in life:

“What makes a person feel bad? –

Because he forgets that there is God above him.”

And this is about pride that precedes falls and how important it is to avoid judging others:

“Don’t boast, peas, that you are better than beans:

If you get wet, you’ll burst.”

On how it is easier to succeed in spiritual life:

"Who gives in more?

He gains more"

In the same way, softening the pastoral word with jokes and rhymes, other elders talked with the pilgrims, taking into account the measure of their age. Spiritual mentor Fr. Ambrose, Rev. Leo often told people about the benefits of compliance:

"Where is humility,

There is salvation nearby."

In two lines, Father Anthony recalled how important it is for a Christian to trust in God and turn to Him in prayer:

“Whoever trusts firmly in God,

God helps him in everything.”

And Elder Anatoly (the Elder) expressed in one sentence how condemnation should be avoided:

“Have pity and you won’t judge”

"Three Nuts"

For those who, devoting themselves to the guidance of the elders, took up internal work, the “lessons” were more difficult. The real “professors” who laid the foundations of the Optina theological school were the first elders: Rev. Paisiy, and behind him – Rev. Leo and Macarius.

The instructions of the last of them expressed the basic principles of spiritual work. This “medicine” is not always pleasant, with a bitter aftertaste, but it brings joy from the knowledge that it is true because it's harder that way, and, although human nature resists the compulsion to follow the “straight path,” there is in it the spirit of the Gospel, the spirit of Christ.

Three qualities, three virtues for St. Macaria has a special price: patient bearing of sorrows, humility and self-reproach. On them the foundation of spiritual life is built, from them the road to higher virtues is paved: mercy, love, self-denial.

Venerable Macarius

Father Macarius reminds us that the path of sorrows is prepared for everyone in the world who seeks salvation, but we should not be afraid, despondent, or shy away from them: they are sent to us to purify our souls and acquire the highest qualities. And everything that the soul “trembles”: losses, pain, labor, injustice, reproach and even one’s own imperfection - must become the “material” of our salvation:

“Our path is such that we want it or don’t want it, and sorrow should be, by God’s permission, to our trial and learning patience.”

Anyone who acquires the skill of patience passes this path without difficulty. He does not challenge, does not try to change the conditions in which he is placed, but accepts them as a test from the hand of the Lord; and then he turns both reproaches and vain accusations into a reason to look at himself more carefully: to notice a rebellious passion, or to remember an unrepentant sin. That is, patience also teaches self-reproach:

“Feats against passions are only painful when we go through them proudly and arrogantly, but when we humbly, calling on God’s help and ascribing corrections to Him, then they too are bearable.”

This view in the Optina tradition of spiritual education will acquire the force of an aphorism:

“If there is humility, everything is there, if there is no humility, there is nothing.”

Remembering the words of the Savior that spiritual gifts can only be useful if the spirit of love operates in a person, Father Macarius advises his spiritual children to be zealous not for acquiring the gifts themselves, but for what opens the way for Christian love:

“Don’t look for any talents, but rather try to master the mother of talents - humility is stronger.”

Not only external sorrows plague a person, but also internal ones - unconquered passions. And the elder reveals a general rule in spiritual warfare: one can defeat weakness that has turned into skill only with the help of the opposite virtue:

“...against pride - humility, against gluttony - abstinence, against envy and resentment - love, but when this is not there, then we will not reproach ourselves, humble ourselves and ask for help from God.”

The idea of ​​the benefits of humility for the sake of Christ - for oneself and for others - runs through all the advice of the Optina elders to both monastics and laity. The call to “not look for one’s own,” to turn one’s own heart into the field of spiritual warfare, sounds constantly in their instructions. But still…

Comforters

Spiritual composure and even the severity of the elders’ instructions had nothing to do with alienation or indifference. In their letters addressed to their spiritual children, there is room for both sympathy and encouragement. Here, for example, is one such letter from the archives of Elder Anatoly (Zertsalov). How much warmth and paternal empathy there is in him:

“As for your pitiful position in the circle of sisters, you will only prove that you are their sister, and not some kind of hanger-on, when you show them sisterly love and tolerate them. It even hurts me to see or hear how everyone is putting pressure on you: well, what if all your future eternal glory lies in this pressure?<…>Be patient, be patient with the Lord, be of good cheer.”

No matter how terrible the “storm” may be, no matter how insurmountable one’s own passions may seem, everything will be weighed, everything will have a price determined in the Resurrection of Christ:

“...If anyone loves Jesus, he tries with all his might to accumulate more dowry,<…>And the Lord loves such people.”

The advice of the Reverend Elders of Optina covers practically all important aspects of life, and there is reasoning in everything: one measure is for monks, another for laity, one for beginners, another for those who are in the middle and at the end of the path.

But they also examine questions that are common to everyone: about the purpose of Christian life, about what kind of fasting is correct, about whether it makes any difference how and what to believe, about the meaning and grace-filled power of church sacraments, about prayer and spiritual reading , about what use of talents the Lord expects from his disciples, and about the dangers on the path of salvation.

Reading them, some will enjoy the wonderful living language of the 19th century, others will unexpectedly discover things that are sharply modern and written, as if especially for pastors who fall “under the fire” of the press, which arrogates to itself the right to judge the church...

And how good it is in the days of the memory of St. Ambrose and the Council of the Optina Elders to continue “communication with them” - to look for or re-read the literature available now: lives, letters, instructions, so that our lives will be illuminated by their wisdom, like the rays of the soft October sun.

Do you know how many Optina elders have been glorified as saints? Which of them worked as an auditor before being tonsured, and which served in the tsarist army? And what saint healed the sick with gingerbread and boiling water? Read about this and more in our fascinating article about the Optina elders.

How many Optina elders were there?

Optina elders

Everyone knows that spirit-bearing monks, revered by the Orthodox people, lived in the Optina Desert at different times. Optina’s name alone inspires respect and hope. But many find it difficult to answer the question of how many of those same elders were in the monastery.

So, at the Local Councils of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1988 and 2000, a total of 14 people were canonized. All of them entered the Cathedral of the Optina Elders and are remembered together at services annually on October 24.

What were the names of these elders?

Optina elders

Another question that takes me by surprise. Well, let’s say you name Ambrose and Anthony of Optina. Maybe one or two more ascetics of the monastery. But, if you didn’t know, here is the complete list of saints of Optina Hermitage:

• Venerable Leo (Nagolkin)
• Venerable Macarius (Ivanov)
• Venerable Moses (Putilov)
• Venerable Anthony (Putilov)
• Venerable Hilarion (Ponomarev)
• Venerable Ambrose (Grenkov)
• Venerable Isaac (Antimonov)
• Rev. Anatoly (Zertsalov)
• Venerable Joseph (Litovkin)
• Venerable Barsanuphius (Plikhankov)
• Rev. Anatoly (Potapov)
• Venerable Nektarios (Tikhonov)
• Reverend Confessor Nikon (Belyaev)
• Venerable Martyr Isaac (Bobrakov)

When did they live?

Optina Pustyn

Despite the fact that the Optina Monastery appeared in the 15th century, the tradition of eldership in the monastery officially belongs to the period from the end of the 18th century to 1938. Hieroschemamonk Leo is considered the inspirer of eldership in the monastery, and under Archimandrite Isaac the spiritual tradition was tragically interrupted.

Who were the Optina elders in the world?

On the icons the saints are depicted as handsome monks, so it seems to descendants that these saints came to the monastery from an early age and lived their whole lives as monks. But this is not true for all Optina elders.

Saints Leo, Anatoly and Nektarios worked as clerks for merchants, and Macarius was an auditor of the Kursk Accounting Chamber. The Monk Hilarion worked as a tailor for some time before his tonsure; Ambrose of Optina worked as a home teacher. Among the unusual professions of elders in the world, one can note the position of innkeeper for St. Joseph and the rank of colonel for Father Barsanuphius. The latter generally surprised many with his sudden “downshift”: a man who had made a brilliant career suddenly left his service and went to a monastery.

What unusual things happened in the lives of the saints?

Schema-abbot Anthony of Optina spent ten days in captivity of the French in 1812 during the capture of Moscow by Napoleonic troops. The saint managed to escape to Kursk, where he got a job and lived until he was tonsured in 1816. But a terrible and amazing incident happened to the Monk Leo. One day he was transporting goods for sale to villages and was attacked by a wolf. The beast grabbed the saint's leg with its teeth and tore out a piece of meat. Perhaps Father Leo would have died this way, but thanks to his enormous strength, he entered into a fight with the wolf and strangled the predator with his hands.

But Ambrose Optinsky became the prototype of the hero of The Brothers Karamazov. Dostoevsky was so amazed by his communication with the monk that he depicted the ascetic in his novel under the name of Elder Zosima.

What miracles did the Optina elders perform?

Optina Pustyn

Shortly before his death, the Monk Hilarion accepted the schema. Being weak and sick, he spent four weeks without moving in a sitting position in his cell! All this time the saint prayed. It’s amazing how he had so much strength in the last month of his life.

But Saint Ambrose had the gift of prediction. Once a young priest came to him for advice. Of course, the elder could not have known about the visit. But, to the surprise of the priest, who was tormented by doubts, the monk met the guest on the approaches to the cell and gave an answer to the unasked question. Nectarius of Optina also gave wise advice, but this saint was remembered by his contemporaries for his gift of healing the sick. Many were struck by the famous case when a grief-stricken mother came to the saint to ask for prayers for her hopelessly ill daughter. The elder replied that his daughter would be healthy, and he himself gave the woman seven gingerbread cookies. According to Nektarios’ orders, the girl had to eat one every day and also take communion. Surprisingly, after seven days the patient completely recovered.

A similar story happened with a sick boy to whom the saint gave an apple. Having ordered the parents to give the child boiling water on the way from Optina Pustyn, the elder promised him a complete recovery. And so it happened: at a rest stop, the boy drank boiling water, went to bed, and when he woke up, he was completely healthy.

The Optina elders even today help everyone who turns to them with sincere faith and prayer. On October 24, the Orthodox Church solemnly celebrates the Council of Optina Saints. On this day, all the ascetics who shone with holiness in the monastery are remembered and honored during the divine service. Taking advantage of this wonderful occasion, you can ask the reverend fathers for help in your needs, you can, at the festive liturgy.

May God help you through the prayers of the saints and send His great mercy!