Prophecies and instructions of the Venerable Seraphim of Vyritsky. Pitfalls of prophecy from Elder Seraphim d Predictions of Seraphim of Vyritsky
One day, the spiritual son asked the elder Hieromonk Seraphim Vyritsky (in the world Vasily Nikolaevich Muravyov) a question about the future of Russia. “The time will come,” he replied, “when there will be extraordinary prosperity in Russia. Many churches and monasteries will open, even foreigners will come to us to be baptized. But this won’t last for long, about 15 years, then the Antichrist will come.” In 1920, Elder Nektary of Optina said: “Russia will rise up and will be materially poor, but rich in spirit, and in Optina there will be 7 more lamps, 7 pillars.”
In 1930, Archbishop Theophan of Poltava summarized the prophecies he received from elders who were able to see the future: “You are asking me about the near future and about the coming last times. I am not speaking about this on my own, but what was revealed to me by the elders. The coming of the Antichrist is approaching and is already very close. The time separating us from his coming can be measured in years, or at most in decades. But before his arrival, Russia must be reborn, albeit for a short time. And the King will be there, chosen by the Lord Himself. And he will be a man of ardent faith, deep intelligence and iron will. This is what was revealed to us about him. And we will wait for the fulfillment of this revelation. Judging by many signs, it is approaching; unless because of our sins the Lord will cancel it and change His promise. According to the testimony of God’s word, this too can happen.” Other holy fathers also saw our time and the future, and tried to warn their loved ones. Thus, the elder of the Glinsk hermitage, Hieromonk Porfiry, writes: “Over time, faith in Russia will fall, the brilliance of earthly glory will blind the mind, the words of truth will be reproached, but for the sake of faith, people unknown to the world will rise up and restore what has been trampled upon.” So, we see that all the prophecies of these God-inspired people at the beginning of our century speak of the expectation of the restoration of Holy Rus' and even the Orthodox Tsar shortly before the coming of the Antichrist and the end of the world. But this event will have the character of an unusually miraculous rather than an ordinary historical event. And at the same time, it will to some extent depend on the Russian people themselves, since God here acts through the free will of man. Just as after the repentance of the people, Nineveh was pardoned, and Jonah’s prophecy about her death thus turned out to be false, so the prophecies about the restoration of Russia may turn out to be false if the Russian people do not repent. One of the most significant prophecies about the future of Russia before the revolution was known only to a few. It was so bold that church censorship did not allow it to be published. It was found among the manuscripts of Motovilov, known for his famous “Conversation with St. Seraphim on the acquisition of the Holy Spirit.” This prophecy, which has now appeared in print (over the past decades), concerns the future resurrection of St. Seraphim just before the end of the world.
That's what Rev. Seraphim said to Motovilov:
“Repeatedly,” writes Motovilov, “I heard from the lips of the great saint of God, the elder Fr. Seraphim, that he will not lie in Sarov with his flesh. And then one day I dared to ask him:
“You, Father, keep saying that you will not lie in Sarov with your flesh.” So, something, the Sarov people will hand you over?
“I, Your Love of God, poor Seraphim, am destined by the Lord God to live much more than a hundred years.” But since by that time the bishops will be so wicked that they will surpass the Greek bishops in their wickedness during the time of Theodosius the Younger, so that they will no longer believe in the most important dogma of the faith of Christ, then it is pleasing to the Lord God to take me, poor Seraphim, until the time of this temporary life and therefore, resurrect, and my resurrection will be like the resurrection of the seven youths in the Okhlonskaya cave in the days of Theodosius the Younger. Having revealed this great terrible secret, the great old man told me that after his resurrection he would move from Sarov to Diveevo and there he would preach a sermon of worldwide repentance. For that sermon, and especially for the miracle of the resurrection, a great crowd will gather from all corners of the earth; Diveevo will become a Lavra, Bertyanovo will become a city, and Arzamas will become a province. And preaching repentance in Diveevo, Father Seraphim will open four relics in it and, after opening them, he himself will lie between them. And then soon the end of everything will come.”
In one of his other conversations with Motovilov, the Monk Seraphim, speaking about the spiritual state of the last Christians who remained faithful to God before the end of the world, told something very important for strengthening the confessors of Christ: “And in the days of that great tribulation, about which it is said that no flesh, if, for the sake of the elect, those days had not been shortened - in those days the remnant of the faithful would experience something similar to what was once experienced by the Lord Himself, when He, hanging on the cross, being a perfect God and a perfect man, felt Himself so abandoned by His Divinity that He cried out to Him: My God! My God! Why did you leave me? The last Christians should experience a similar abandonment of humanity by the Grace of God, but only for a very short time, after which the Lord will not hesitate to appear in all His glory, and all the holy Angels with Him. And then everything that has been predetermined from eternity in the eternal Council will be accomplished in its entirety.”
The conviction that Holy Rus' is still alive is confirmed by a number of testimonies from some observers modern Russia. Here's what Gennady Shimanov says:
“Holy Rus' has not disappeared, it has not been buried; it is eternal and victorious, and this last word belongs to the history of our people... Holy Rus' has disappeared only from the surface of modern life, but it continues to live in its hidden depths, growing until the time when it pleases God, and surviving the winter, it again will appear on the surface and adorn the image of the Russian land, which was lashed by fierce and icy hurricanes and storms.”
The word that Russia will bring to the world In the New Testament, in the book of revelation of John the Theologian, the events before the end of the world are described in detail: “And when He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven, as if for half an hour” (Rev. 8: 1). Some explain this passage of Holy Scripture as a short period of peace preceding the last events of world history, namely a short period of restoration of Russia, when the worldwide word of repentance will begin from Russia - and this is that “last and final word”, which, according to Dostoevsky , Russia will bring to the world.
In modern conditions, in which events in any country become instantly known to the whole world, Russia, purified by the blood of martyrs, will truly have the opportunity to awaken the world from the deep sleep of atheism and unbelief. Father Dimitry Dudko and others have said more than once that it is impossible for the blood of countless Russian martyrs to be shed in vain; it will undoubtedly become the seed of the last and bright flowering of true Christianity.
However, it is very easy to just dream about the future of this world and what might happen in Russia. The resurrection of Russia depends on the efforts of each individual soul; it cannot happen without the participation of Orthodox people- our common repentance and our feat. It draws into its sphere not only people in Russia itself, but also everyone in the diaspora and all Orthodox people throughout the world.
Bishop John of Shanghai, in his report to the Council of Bishops Abroad in 1938, spoke about the apocalyptic mission of the Russian people abroad: “By punishing, the Lord at the same time shows the Russian people the path to salvation, making them a preacher of Orthodoxy throughout the universe. The Russian dispersion introduced Orthodoxy to all corners of the world, for the Russian refugee mass (largely unconsciously) is a preacher of Orthodoxy. It has been given to Russians abroad to shine the light of Orthodoxy throughout the entire universe, so that other peoples, seeing their good deeds, glorify our Father who is in heaven, and thus gain salvation for themselves... Those abroad must turn to the path of repentance and, having begged for forgiveness for themselves, are reborn spiritually, to become capable of reviving our suffering Motherland.” Thus, Russians abroad, behaving as befits true Orthodox Christians, will prepare the way for the preaching of worldwide repentance by St. Seraphim.
To some extent, this is what is happening if we pay attention to the fact that parallel to the Orthodox revival in Russia, there is a genuine awakening of Orthodoxy not only in America, but also in other countries outside of Russia. But the whole future depends on us: if we are reborn to the true Orthodox life, then Holy Rus' will be restored; if not, then the Lord can withdraw his promises. Archbishop John ended his report at the Council with a prophecy and hope that the true Easter will come there, which will shine upon the whole world before the end of everything that exists and before the beginning of the universal Kingdom of God: “Shake off the sleep of despondency and laziness, sons of Russia! Behold the glory of her suffering and be cleansed, washed from your sins! Strengthen yourself in the Orthodox faith so that you may be worthy to dwell in the dwelling of the Lord and move into the holy mountain. Arise, arise, arise, Rus', you who drank from the hand of the Lord the cup of His wrath! When your suffering is over, your righteousness will go with you, and the glory of the Lord will follow you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the radiance rising above you. Then lift up your eyes around and see: behold, your children will come to you from the west, and the north, and the sea, and the east, blessing Christ in you forever!” (from the lecture of Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) “The Future of Russia and the End of the World”, San Francisco, August 1981) “The future of Russia is in the hands of Divine Providence. Human efforts cannot destroy or change God’s destinies. Russia is destined for great importance. She will dominate the universe. She will achieve this when her population matches the space... The attack of envious enemies will force her to develop strength and understand her position, which will already constantly arouse envy and intrigues. This will require enormous work, feat, self-sacrifice; but what to do when the hand of incomprehensible Fate leads to them! In the 38th and 39th chapters of the prophet Ezekiel, the power and large number of the northern people, called Ross, are described; this people must achieve enormous material development before the end of the world and conclude with its end the history of the wanderings of the human race on earth...”
There will be a storm. And the Russian ship will be destroyed. But people also save themselves on chips and debris. A great miracle of God will be revealed. And all the chips and debris, 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 (Rev. Anatoly Optinsky).
Formidable adversities will subside, Russia will defeat its enemies, and the name of the Great Russian People will thunder like thunder throughout the universe! Rev. Seraphim Vyritsky
Prophecies of Seraphim Vyritsky
In the 1930s, the Bolsheviks closed and blew up churches, knocked down crosses from them, and mercilessly imprisoned and shot priests. One late night, security officers came to the house of Father Seraphim, who lived near Leningrad in the village of Vyritsa, intending to arrest him. A seriously ill priest lying in the corner asked the leader of the group to come up to him. And when he approached, he affectionately stroked his hand, and, looking into his eyes, said soulfully: “May your sins be forgiven, servant of God!” The stern security officer was amazed, confused and muttered: “If there were more such elders, we would all become believers.” And the priest, smiling, said: “Treat them some tea!” Having gotten drunk, the formidable guests left without executing the arrest order...
Vasily Muravyov, who was destined to become a great Russian saint under the name Seraphim Vyritsky, was born on March 31, 1866 in the village of Vakhromeevo, Yaroslavl province. Since childhood, he was distinguished by brilliant abilities - he independently learned to read and write and mastered mathematics. And his first books were the Gospel and the Psalter. But soon the young man had no time for reading, his father died early and he was forced to take care of the family onto his shoulders. He went to St. Petersburg, where he got a job as a delivery boy in one of the Gostiny Dvor shops. He worked hard and sent all the money to his family. He was only 26 years old when Vasily managed to open his own business - a fur trading office. He soon became rich, sold furs to many countries and became one of the first fur traders in Russia. However, even then he was drawn to a different, spiritual life. He generously gave gifts to monasteries, churches, hospitals, traveled to holy places, and often visited the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, where Elder Barnabas lived, who became his spiritual father. With his blessing, he got married. His family revered a strict, almost monastic rule of life, unusual for a merchant.
During his trips abroad, when he was 33 years old, Vasily visited Mount Athos in Greece, where 20 ancient Orthodox monasteries are located. What he saw there shocked him so much that, upon returning, he came for spiritual advice to John of Kronstadt, and he said that the Queen of Heaven had blessed him to serve Russia.
But then the revolution broke out. Vasily without hesitation gave all his fortune to the monasteries, generously rewarded the employees, and he himself settled in the village of Tyarlevo near Petrograd, and soon took monastic vows under the name Varnava in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, and his wife Olga Ivanovna became a nun Christina in the Resurrection Novodevichy Monastery.
This text is an introductory fragment.The Lord is Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom(2 Cor. 3:17)
Tales of the exploits and equal-angelic life of the saints who shone forth in previous centuries seem to the people of little faith of our time to be implausible myths. But the Lord showed us an ascetic who is practically our contemporary. The life of St. Seraphim Vyritsky is a new word about Christ’s love, addressed to all believers and non-believers. It once again reminds the world, absorbed in the acquisition of temporary earthly goods, of the true purpose of a short human life- the salvation of the immortal soul for blissful Eternity. Today, for the people of God, St. Seraphim is one of the most beloved Heavenly helpers and mentors.
2016 is the year of the 150th anniversary of the birth of this great man of prayer and mourner of the Russian Land. I would like to offer readers of the Russian People's Line a series of articles dedicated to the life and amazing exploits of the famous St. Petersburg merchant, who became an all-Russian elder-comforter and prophet.
By His ineffable mercy, the Lord allowed me to prepare materials for the glorification of the Vyritsa elder. Blessings for the work were received in 1995 from the elder Archpriest Nikolai Guryanov and Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga John (Snychev).
By that time, only the main milestones of the life of St. Seraphim Vyritsky were known: a pious businessman and philanthropist - a monk of the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra - a deeply revered elder among the people, who possessed many spiritual gifts.
Accurate data regarding many life events, facts and dates was practically absent. The exact date and place of the saint’s birth were not even known, since before accepting monasticism he destroyed all documents relating to his previous life. Specific facts and dates concerning the merchant activity of the ascetic, his stay in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra and in Vyritsa were also absent.
As a result of five years of work in a number of archives and libraries, numerous meetings and conversations with living witnesses to the life and deeds of the saint, my book “Elder Hieroschemamonk Seraphim Vyritsky and the Russian Golgotha” was born, which served as the basis for the canonization of Elder Hieroschemamonk Seraphim (Muravyov) Vyritsky as a saint for church-wide veneration at the Jubilee Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000.
In total, I devoted more than 20 years to research and study of the life and exploits of the monk and his companions. After the glorification of the elder, the book received the name “Holy Venerable Seraphim of Vyritsky and the Russian Golgotha,” and each new edition was supplemented with new information from the archives, testimonies of the pious children of the Russian Orthodox Church and rare illustrations. The continuation of the first book was the book “To Vyritsa to St. Seraphim.”
The narrative basis of the books was made up of stories from the relatives of the ascetic and his spiritual children, with whom the elder shared memories of his life in the world, including the years of his childhood and youth. All of them treated every word very responsibly and carefully: “I will answer for this before the Lord!” - this is how they introduced their stories. Many of them could not talk without tears about their meetings with the monk, who in those touching moments was next to us in spirit. Much of this evidence was captured on videotape.
We developed a very warm relationship with the saint’s relatives. The elder’s granddaughter, Margarita Nikolaevna Muravyova-Naboko (†2004), spent more than 30 years inseparably with Father Seraphim and knew details of his life that no one else knew and could not know. She was a living witness to a number of important events, she saw a lot with her own eyes, she knew a lot from the stories of the elder himself, the stories of schema-nun Seraphima (Muravyova), who in the world was his wife, as well as people who knew the ascetic closely in the pre-revolutionary years.
The saint's relatives reverently preserved the holy memory of his life and exploits. They took care of shrines, documents, photographs and memories in the family archive - everything that was saved during the years of militant atheism. However, a lot was irretrievably lost...
Over the course of several years, bit by bit, we reconstructed with Margarita Nikolaevna and her daughter, Olga Danilovna, many pages from the life of the monk. At the same time, I conducted research in archival and library collections, collected living testimonies about the life, exploits and miracles of the Vyritsa ascetic, which I received literally first-hand.
Many unknown important facts were established during conversations with relatives of the confessor of the Royal Family, St. Theophan of Poltava; Metropolitan Gury (Egorov) and his brother, the martyr Archimandrite Leo (Egorov); confessor Archpriest Alexy Kibardin, confessor Archpriest Konstantin Titov and other church figures. Testimonies were also provided by many close spiritual children of Patriarch Alexy (Simansky) and Metropolitan Nikolai (Yarushevich) - Elena Nikolaevna Sergievskaya, Klavdiya Georgievna Petrunenkova, Olga Yakovlevna Vinogradova and others.
Important information was provided by prominent St. Petersburg scientists - Mikhail Sergeevich Favorsky, Tatyana Nikolaevna Alikhova, Alexander Sergeevich Ivanov, Yuri Konstantinovich Gerasimov, the daughter of Professor Mikhail Ivanovich Gramenitsky, Elena Mikhailovna Kuzmina and others.
Communication with famous St. Petersburg pastors provided me with invaluable assistance in my work: Archpriest Alexy Korovin (†2005), Archpriest Vasily Ermakov (†2007), Archpriest Ioann Mironov, Archpriest Viktor Golubev, Archpriest Boris Glebov, Archpriest Igor Mazur, Archpriest Nikolai Preobrazhensky, Priest Vyacheslav Klyuzhev (†2006), as well as the abbess of the Gornensky convent in Jerusalem Georgiy (Shchukina) and the abbess of the Pukhtitsky Assumption Convent Varvara (Trofimova) (†2011). Their testimonies are also placed on the pages of my book, and in total I managed to find and interview more than a hundred people who personally knew St. Seraphim Vyritsky.
An extensive collection of spiritual, historical and documentary sources made it possible to lift the curtain of time over the life of the saint and hear his prophetic voice.
I was prompted to begin a series of articles about the saint with his prophecies by the desire to show their special spiritual value for our contemporaries, for the main of these prophecies serve as a call for a sincere, repentant return of the people to God and the Orthodox faith.
IN Lately There is a lot of talk about the revival of Russia through new political and economic reforms. Authoritative scientific forums gather, socio-political clubs operate, putting forward various programs and projects.
Neither politics nor economics will help the revival of our earthly Fatherland if the most important thing is missing. For more than a thousand years, the Orthodox Russian people lived by faith and the Church: only faith and the Church can save them. It was Orthodoxy that made Russia Russia!
“Russia must follow its own special path, without bowing to the world mammon and Western false values”, - this is how the great Vyritsky righteous man taught.
He possessed an undoubted prophetic gift. This is eloquently evidenced by many living testimonies published on the pages of my books. It is extremely important to note that Father Seraphim did everything with prayer, striking his visitors with evangelical humility and love. His words are not predictions for the sake of predictions, but testimonies of the Spirit, helping to introduce people to the truth of God, guiding them on the path of salvation. This permeated the entire life of the saint. Some of his prophecies have already been fulfilled, others are being fulfilled before our eyes...
Prediction by St. Seraphim of the patriarchal service to two future High Hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church; foreseeing in the 20s of the twentieth century the approaching cruel persecution of the Church; the ascetic’s prophecies about the coming Great Patriotic War and the victory of Russian weapons in it; prophecies about the coming revival of churches and monasteries in Russia, spoken in the bloody year of 1939; about the renaming of Leningrad to St. Petersburg (the elder himself always called the northern capital St. Petersburg); the then predicted religious procession from the Kazan Cathedral to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra; prediction in 1945 of the 1961 currency reform; the words spoken in 1948 about the upcoming second discovery of the holy relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, which occurred 43 years later; the Vyritsa ascetic’s foresight of the death of Archpriest Alexy Kibardin 15 years after his own, an accurate insight into the destinies of many people and other predictions have now become indisputable facts.
Already during the years of service in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, the spirit-bearing gifts received from the Lord began to clearly manifest themselves in Father Seraphim. People felt his spiritual power. A very significant episode is well known in church circles: “...At the end of 1927, Archbishop Alexy (Simansky), who then ruled the Novgorod diocese, came to the confessor of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra for advice and prayer. He was in confusion, as he was very afraid of another arrest and persecution for his noble origin. “Father Seraphim, wouldn’t it be better for me to go abroad?” - asked the bishop. “Vladyka! And to whom will you leave the Russian Orthodox Church? After all, you will shepherd it!” came the elder's answer . - Do not be afraid, the Mother of God Herself will protect you. There will be many serious temptations, but everything will be managed with God’s help. Stay, please" Vladyka Alexy immediately calmed down and forever abandoned thoughts of going abroad. Thus, Father Seraphim predicted to Archbishop Alexy his future service 18 years before his election to the patriarchate. The Lavra schema-monk indicated to the future Patriarch the period of his high priestly service - 25 years.
The elder predicted patriarchal service for another High Hierarch. I told my great-grandson about this in Prague in 2011. St. Gennady Aleksandrovich Muravyov, Archbishop of Olomouc-Brno Simeon (Jakovlevich), who graduated from the Leningrad Theological Academy, where he studied in the same course with the 17-year-old psalmist from Tallinn Alexey Ridiger.
Like other students of the academy, the future bishop came to Vyritsa to see the elder for a blessing. This was in January 1948. At the end of the warm conversation, Father Seraphim literally amazed the young man with the words that he would be an archbishop in the Czech Republic. Returning to Leningrad, Radivoy (that was the name of Vladyka Simeon in the world) told his fellow students about this. They were amused: “Just think, I was surprised. Our old man is kind. He told Lesha Ridiger that he would be the patriarch!..”
The words of the saint came true in 1990, when Metropolitan Alexy (Ridiger) of Leningrad and Novgorod was elected Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. And Radivoy, after graduating from the academy in 1953, returned to Prague, where in 1958 he married and was ordained a priest. For almost 40 years he served as rector of the Church of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir in the resort town of Marianske Lazne in Western Bohemia.
In the fall of 1996, Father Radivoy was widowed, after which he took monastic vows with the name Simeon. In 1998, he was consecrated bishop. The new Vladyka was then 72 years old! He soon became the manager of the affairs of the Prague diocese, and in 2000, the ruling bishop of the Olomouc-Brno diocese of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia. So, 50 years later, another prediction of the great Vyritsky elder came true.
Returning to the period of service of St. Seraphim in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, it should be noted that he repeatedly gave his flock lessons of true humility and meekness. He was distinguished by constant reverence for the destinies of God. He led his spiritual children to the same reverence and submission to God: “The Almighty Lord rules the world, and everything that happens in it is accomplished either by the grace of God or by God’s permission. The destinies of God are incomprehensible to man. The three holy youths in the cave of Babylon confessed God and truly believed that all the spiritual and civil disasters that were allowed to happen to them and the Israeli people were allowed to happen according to the righteous judgment of God. Only such a view of the essence of everything that happens attracts peace into the soul, does not allow one to get carried away by excitement, directs the vision of the mind to Eternity and brings patience in sorrows. And the sorrows themselves then seem short-lived, insignificant and petty. Do not complain about the weight of the Cross; on the day of sorrow, tell your sorrow to the Lord, and He will comfort you.”“- the priest instructed in a quiet and soft voice, in which some special, warm notes always sounded.
After all, it was then, in 1926-27, that he predicted an extraordinary intensification of open persecution of the Church of Christ, when all of Russia would turn into a large concentration camp, which happened after the priest moved to Vyritsa.
And so - at a time when crosses were toppled from domes, monasteries and churches were plundered by the thousands, when tens of thousands of clergy were languishing in camps and prisons, the Lord erected in Vyritsa a temple not made by hands, living - the pure heart of Father Seraphim. In the terrible 1930s, when fierce persecution fell upon the Russian Orthodox Church, much greater in intensity than the persecution of the times of Diocletian, when it seemed that the Church was on the brink of destruction, the light of the righteous man of God shone from Vyritsa throughout all of Russia.
And what great courage and trust in the mercy of God one had to have in order to write in that bloody time lines predicting revival and glory for the Russian Church:
A thunderstorm will pass over the Russian Land,
The Lord will forgive the sins of the Russian people.
And the Holy Cross with Divine beauty
The temples of God will shine brightly again.
And the ringing of bells throughout our Holy Rus'
He will awaken from the sleep of sin to salvation.
The holy monasteries will be opened again,
And faith in God will unite everyone.
Hieroschemamonk Seraphim (Muravyev), circa 1939
These deeply prophetic verses were passed on from mouth to mouth, distributed in lists, and reached places of imprisonment and exile. In the midst of the Gethsemane night, which then swallowed up all of Russia, the lamp of living faith shone in Vyritsa, hope did not fade in people’s hearts...
During the years of bloody persecution, when it seemed that the Church was doomed to quick and complete destruction, Father Seraphim spoke about its impending revival - about the resumption of the then prohibited ringing of bells, about the opening of the devastated churches of God and holy monasteries. The monk tirelessly reminded his many visitors of God’s promise of the invincibility of the Holy Orthodox Church through the gates of hell.
Elena Nikolaevna Sergievskaya, the wife of the teacher and head of the journal collection of the library of the Leningrad Theological Academy Sergei Petrovich Sergievsky, said: “Hieroschemamonk Seraphim Vyritsky was my mentor for more than twenty years, until his righteous death. Even in my childhood, I, together with my mother, came to him for confession at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, then went to Vyritsa... The Lord endowed the Vyritsa ascetic with many spiritual gifts, and I was honored to repeatedly experience their power. Father Seraphim had a special gift of seeing what was happening in the distance. Once, when I was just approaching the priest’s house, he said: “Open up! They are coming to me,” and this applied specifically to me, which was later confirmed by the elder himself. Once he told me about the last times: “It will be scary to live to see them! We, thank God, will not live to see them, but from the Kazan Cathedral there will be a procession of the Cross to the Lavra...”
In the 30s, Hieroschemamonk Seraphim spoke more than once about the fact that the Lord could allow a Great and Terrible War, which would turn the people to God. Maria Konstantinovna Titova, the daughter of the ever-memorable Archpriest Konstantin Sergeevich Titov, who served in the 20s and early 30s of the last century in the Resurrection Cathedral in the city of Luga, testified: “From the age of seven I sang in the choir of the Luga Olga Church. Then - in St. Petersburg. At first she sang in the Church of the Sign, and after its closure - in St. Nicholas Cathedral. Here I had the opportunity to meet and get acquainted with Pyotr Vasilyevich Molchanov. He was a pious Orthodox man.
Pyotr Vasilyevich worked in the field of supply and was the spiritual son of Father Seraphim. He told me a lot about the priest and one day invited me to go with him to Vyritsa. This was in 1939. The elder received us very warmly and blessed us. Unspeakable light and divine love emanated from Father Seraphim. One look at him was enough for heavenly joy to enter the heart...
Unexpectedly, Pyotr Vasilyevich knelt before the elder and said: “Father! I came to you to ask for a blessing,” after which he quietly added. “I want to offer Mary my hand and heart.” This turn of events literally stunned me, because I didn’t expect anything like this. The silent scene lasted for a few moments. Father Seraphim immediately summed it up unequivocally: “No wedding - there will soon be a Great War!” Not only did he not give his blessing for the marriage, but he forbade even thinking about marriage. Later life showed that the perspicacious old man had every reason for this - at the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Pyotr Vasilyevich Molchanov died at the front..."
From the first days of the war, Father Seraphim openly spoke about the upcoming victory of Russian weapons. Many residents of Vyritsa and its environs knew about the patriotic activities of Father Seraphim. How many people, precisely at that anxious time, came through the prayers of the ascetic to repentance, fervently turning to the Lord! After all, the elder inspired them so much, firmly saying that the Lord would definitely grant victory to the Russian people if they strengthened themselves in the faith of their fathers.
The Romanian unit stationed in Vyritsa was commanded by German officers. They were informed about the prophecies of Father Seraphim, and soon uninvited guests came to the house on Pilny Prospekt. Father tamed the aliens through gracious help from Above. The elder immediately amazed them by speaking to them in good German - after all, when he was a merchant, he often visited Vienna and Berlin, collaborating with Austrian and German companies.
The captain, who was the head of the Vyritsa team, asked Father Seraphim whether the German units would soon march victoriously across Palace Square in St. Petersburg? The elder humbly replied that this would never happen. The Germans will have to leave hastily, and the questioner himself will not be destined to return home; during the retreat, he will lay down his head near Warsaw.
According to the stories of local residents captured by the Germans, whom the occupiers tried to take to Germany, this German officer actually died in the area of the Polish capital, and the slaves were returned to their homeland. Prophetic words Father Seraphim was confirmed by a Romanian officer, who also served during the war in the Vyritsa team. In 1980, he came to venerate the elder’s grave and, having found local residents who remembered him, told about the details of that retreat...
In the post-war period, the elder helped a great many people with his prayers and practical advice. Some found out about the missing, others, through the prayers of the elder, got jobs, and others found registration and shelter. And their immortal souls themselves received the right direction to salvation. Son of Professor S.S. Favorsky, Mikhail Sergeevich, recalling his meetings with the monk, said amazing words: “Father Seraphim knew how to give Heavenly joy, which is why everything, even the most difficult sorrows, faded into the background, and a person wanted to experience this joy in the future. Truly " our residence is in Heaven"(Phil. 3:20) » .
The elder’s spiritual daughter Vera Konstantinovna Berkhman writes in her diary: “Some came out of his cell with tear-stained faces, some with joyful faces. But these people are no longer the same people who came here - peace and tenderness shine in their eyes. “He advised,” they report, “to pray as if for a living person. That means he’s alive!” They share his words and advice with each other. From here they will come out as different people, with hope for the best, with hope for help from Above, with the decision to pray and endure...”
Olga Georgievna Preobrazhenskaya, the niece of the confessor of the Royal Family, Saint Feofan (Bistrov) of Poltava, said: “The war scattered all my relatives in different places, and the main thing for me was to find out something about their fate. The elder immediately said: “Sisters and brothers will be found, but you won’t see your mother again...” - and promised to pray for me and all my relatives.
In 1946, my sisters Maria and Alexandra, who were in captivity, returned, and then my brother Vasily. Brother John arrived from Riga. Mom died in the Pskov region in 1943. Everything came true as Father Seraphim predicted.”
For more than 60 years, nun Antonia (Gavrilova) labored at the church in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Vnuto, Novgorod Region. Monasticism was predicted for her by the Monk Seraphim Vyritsky. With reverence and joy, Mother Antonia recalled her meetings with the great ascetic: “Father Seraphim sat us next to him and called Mother Seraphim, who was looking after him... Father said to her: “Mother, look, a nun has come to us.” I look where the nun is - she’s nowhere. I look around, look around, and Mother Seraphim smiles: “But the priest said about you - a nun.” “Oh,” I was surprised, “I’m not worthy.” “So, will you go to the monastery? “- asks the priest. And his voice is so wonderful - spiritual! “But I’m a sinner... I’m not worthy to go to the monastery,” I say again. “Yes, we are all sinners,” answered Father Seraphim, “and who If he repents, he will become a saint!”.
Then Father Seraphim spoke about the revival of specific monasteries - the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, the Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery, the Valaam Monastery and others. It is noteworthy that, predicting the restoration of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, the elder said that first the state would return the Holy Trinity Cathedral to the Church as a parish church, and only then, many years later, the entire Lavra would be transferred to the monastics. The priest also predicted that over time a monastery would be founded in Vyritsa, and Leningrad would again be renamed St. Petersburg.
The monk said that the time would come when Orthodox radio stations would operate in Moscow, St. Petersburg and a number of other Russian cities, in the broadcasts of which one could hear soulful edifications, prayers and church chants...
Elena Aleksandrovna Komarova, the daughter of the spiritual son of Hieroschemamonk Seraphim Alexander Alexandrovich Smirnov, said: “My parents heard a lot of absolutely incredible things at that time from Father Seraphim back in the 30s. The elder predicted that the city on the Neva would return its first name. He also said that the time would come when prayers would be sung on the radio. Father also talked about how by the end of the century the climate could change dramatically, and in St. Petersburg it would be hotter than in the south...”
From the memoirs of Natalia Stepanovna Tikhonova - parishioners of the church in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God of the Metochion of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery in St. Petersburg, who visited the priest in 1945-1948: “I felt so good with him that I forgot about everything in the world! Father Seraphim consoled me very much. He said that soon the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra will be opened, and then the entire Lavra will be handed over to the Church. I was surprised then and said: “What are you talking about, father! How can this be? After all, now everything is being broken and blown up...” The elder replied: “You don’t believe it, but the time will come when they will begin to restore and open churches, monasteries, chapels.” ... When you go to the consecration of the Trinity Church in the Lavra, remember the poor Seraphim - I will no longer be there..."
The Favorsky family was looked after by Father Seraphim in the pre-war years. Mikhail Sergeevich shared his memories with undisguised excitement: “At the beginning of 1945, the whole family went to Vyritsa. It was general rejoicing - again we saw our dear priest, heard his wondrous velvet voice, received his holy blessing!
That same year, through negligence, I “failed” the entrance exams to medical school and almost fell into despondency. Mom was very worried about me, and we immediately went to the elder. I still remember his words: “Don’t be upset, everything will be fine. Next year you will enter and will still be a professor.”. The saint's words turned out to be prophetic...
Galina Ivanovna Raevskaya spoke about the insight, extraordinary power of blessing, holy love and the gift of spiritual consolation that Father Seraphim possessed: “In 1947, in St. Nicholas Cathedral, after reading an akathist, I was destined to meet a young man. Seryozha was the son of a priest. We became friends. One day it was a bright frosty February day. We were free from school and decided to go to Vyritsa, where we had never been...
Father lies on the bed, smiles and says to us: “Well, I bless you! You will live well, just give in to each other.” He sat us down and started talking to us. He told how he was a Gostinodvor merchant, and then he gave up everything, and he and his mother went to the monastery. Then he says to Seryozha: “They will invite you to America - don’t refuse.” And he predicted a materially prosperous life for us. “What America?” I wondered. Sergei had just returned from the front and, apart from felt boots and an overcoat, he had nothing. But the priest repeated his words again and again...
And my husband, a teacher, 20 years later began to sail on ships. And one day their ship was wrecked off the coast of America. And, indeed, I had a chance to visit and work there.”.
And here is what Olga Yakovlevna Vinogradova, the spiritual daughter of Hieroschemamonk Seraphim, said: “I was with the elder on the day when he blessed two sisters - Valyusha and Nina - to become monks. Subsequently, Valentina became the abbess of the Gornenskaya monastery in Jerusalem, and Nina became a nun of the Pukhtitsa monastery, Mother Arsenia.
Then they left the priest unusually joyful: “Olenka! Now we’ll go to Pyukhtitsa.” I answered: “Girls! Wait, I’ll go and get blessed too. We’ll go together.” I entered the cell, knelt down: “Father! Bless us for salvation in Pyukhtitsa. I know the girls. We will go to your house together to be blessed.” (At that time, the abbess of the Pyukhtitsa monastery, Mother Raphaila, and the sisters of the monastery really wanted Father Seraphim to move to him to Pyukhtitsa and even built a special house for him).
However, to my great regret, the priest answered: “I don’t bless you! You don’t fit into their regime due to your internal structure... I bless you in Diveevo! It’s okay that everything is closed there now. When the time comes, they will open it! Through the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, the monastery will be restored and the relics of St. Seraphim will rest there!”
What can I add to these words? It was then post-war 1948. There were 43 long years left before the second discovery of the relics of our holy reverend father Seraphim of Sarov... And who in those days could believe that such a thing would ever happen! Such was the strength of the faith of the Vyritsa elder, and his gaze stretched forward for many, many years.”
Tatyana Nikolaevna Alikhova is a world-famous geologist: “For fifteen years, the old man predicted for us the monetary reform of 1961, saying: “Then a French bun, which now costs 70 kopecks, will cost 7 kopecks, and so all products...” The priest was very worried about the fate of St. Petersburg due to the fact that the city located in a low-lying swampy area and flooding is always possible..."
The story of Alexander Sergeevich Ivanov is another evidence of the extraordinary insight and miraculous power of the blessing of the Vyritsa elder. Alexander Sergeevich himself does not remember Father Seraphim, but talks about the priest as the closest and dearest person: “When I was less than two years old, my mother brought me to the great elder. This was at the beginning of 1949. Father looked at me and said: “This boy will be a medical scientist.” And he blessed... After 30 years, I defended my dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Medical Sciences.”.
From a memorandum from the rector of the Marienburg Church in honor of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, Archpriest Peter Belavsky, to the manager of the affairs of the Leningrad diocese, Archpriest Sergius Rumyantsev: “... First of all, I bring you deep gratitude for the opportunity given to me to perform the Liturgy and the funeral service for my dear late father Alexy Kibardin, with whom I was connected by spiritual ties for almost forty years... I would like to inform you about the prophetic words of the elder Hieroschemamonk Seraphim Vyritsky, which came true over Father Alexy. Father Seraphim predicted to him that he would die after the death of the elder himself in 15 years. And on April 3, 1964, it was 15 years since the death of Father Seraphim, and exactly 15 years later Father Alexy died.”(from the archives of the St. Petersburg Metropolitanate).
There are many other facts that testify to the depth of the elder’s insight into future events. He said that only Russia can save humanity, and Vyritsa will become a place of worldwide pilgrimage, and over time a monastery will be opened here.
Relatives and close spiritual children of St. Seraphim Vyritsky noted that not everything was seen by the elder in rosy tones. The prophecy given below, the most important for the Orthodox, is clearly coming true before our eyes:
« The time will come when not persecution, but money and the charms of this world will turn people away from God, and many more souls will perish than in the times of open fight against God - said the reverend , - on the one hand, they will erect crosses and gild domes, and on the other, the kingdom of lies and evil will come. The True Church will always be persecuted, and it will be possible to be saved only through sorrows and illnesses. The persecution will take on the most sophisticated, unpredictable character. It will be scary to live until these times. We, thank God, will not live to see it, but then the procession of the Cross will go from the Kazan Cathedral to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra».
It is appropriate to note here that, after an 85-year break, the First Procession of the Cross from the Kazan Cathedral to the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra took place on September 12, 2002, on the day of remembrance of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky, even before the city authorities officially allowed revive this tradition. Pious Christians then made this procession along the sidewalks of Nevsky Prospekt.
It is also easy to see that the kingdom of lies and evil that has engulfed the entire world has long become a reality - it surrounds us, although the external revival of the Church is still ongoing.
The persecution, indeed, has taken on the most sophisticated and unpredictable character, especially against those Christians who do not want to participate in "in the unfruitful works of darkness"(Eph.5:10-11) - in the construction of a worldwide electronic concentration camp.
A number of predictions of the Vyritsky elder sound very alarming notes. “If the Russian people do not come to repentance, - Father said “It may happen that brother will rise up against brother again.”
Don't we see this today in the events that are taking place in the Donbass and Lugansk region?
Several important predictions of St. Seraphim of Vyritsky were recorded by Maria Georgievna Preobrazhenskaya, niece of St. Theophan of Poltava:
“...It was right after the war. I sang in the choir of the Peter and Paul Church in the village of Vyritsa. Often the singers from our church and I came to Father Seraphim for a blessing. One day one of the singers said: “Dear father! It’s so good now - the war is over, the bells in the churches are ringing again...” And the elder replied: “No, that’s not all. There will still be more fear than there was. You You will meet Her again. It will be very difficult for young people to change their uniforms. Who will survive? Who will remain alive?(the saint repeated these words three times) But whoever remains alive - what will he have? a good life..." After a short pause, the priest again thoughtfully said: "If only the people of the whole world, every single person(again, as if in a chant, the elder repeated these words several times) , at the same time, we would kneel down and pray to God for at least five minutes to extend our lives, so that the Lord would grant everyone time to repent..."
The way the situation in the world is heating up today, when the West has taken off the mask of a good uncle and exposed its bestial appearance, any turn of events leading to a new World War is possible.
Discussing prophecies, Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov says: “God changed His decrees, announced through the holy prophets, such as the prophecy of Jonah about the Ninevites(Jonah 3, 10) ; Elijah about Ahab(1 Kings 21, 29) ; Isaiah on Hezekiah(2 Kings 20, 1-11) ... He who has surrendered himself and everything to the will of God does not need to know anything in advance.”.
In all the cases mentioned by Saint Ignatius, God changed wrath to mercy after individuals or entire nations humbled themselves before Him, left a sinful life and entered the path of repentance. It all depends on what choice people make themselves.
Back in the 20s of the twentieth century, Father Seraphim edified all who sought to know the will of God: “Now the time has come for repentance and confession. The Lord Himself has determined punishment for the Russian people for their sins, and until the Lord Himself has mercy on Russia, it makes no sense to go against His holy will. A gloomy night will cover the Russian Land for a long time, a lot of suffering and sorrow awaits us ahead. Therefore, the Lord teaches us: “Through your patience save your souls.”(Luke 21:19) . We can only trust in God and beg Him for forgiveness. Let us remember that “God is love”(1 John 4:16) and hope for His ineffable mercy..."
"Then,- the great elder taught, - Only by submitting to the will of God, which is sometimes revealed to people precisely in severe sorrows, illnesses and persecutions, can they recognize their own weakness and gain a desire for grace-filled help from Above. Only in this way are true faith, hope and prayer created from the bottom of the heart in the consciousness of one’s own insignificance, the same one that never remains unanswered and moves mountains...”
It is clear from everything that God’s punishment for the apostasy of the Russian people is still in effect today. The moral state of modern society, in which the Antichrist spirit of this world reigns, causes great sadness and anxiety. There is also no doubt that the world is rapidly approaching its menacing and inevitable end, and Russia is being intensively drawn into the construction of a single global kingdom on the terms of its geopolitical opponents. Russia's internal enemies are succeeding in destroying the traditional Orthodox worldview and attitude, persistently imposing the cult of earthly goods, pleasures and permissiveness, promising a new “bright future” - “electronic heaven on earth”, which will turn out to be a living hell.
It is quite obvious that Russia will not be saved by any political, economic and “technological” reforms, or indeed by any other earthly means. The revival of Russia is possible only through a return to the life-giving source of the Orthodox faith.
What other shocks are needed for the Russian people to awaken from deep spiritual sleep and come to repentance!?
The Lord gifted St. Seraphim of Vyritsky with many grace-filled revelations. Describing one of his spiritual contemplations, the ascetic told nun Seraphima (Morozova):
“I have visited all countries. I have not found a better country than ours and I have not seen a better faith than ours. Our faith is above all. This is the Orthodox faith, the true faith. Of all the known creeds, only this one was brought to earth by the Son of God incarnate. I ask you, Mother Seraphima, to tell everyone that no one should deviate from our faith...”
The great elder of Vyritsa has said more than once that Russia possesses a priceless treasure - it is the custodian of the Holy Orthodox Faith. True enlightenment is the enlightenment of the soul with the light of Orthodoxy. Not the prosperous West, where the ultimate goal of all things is the earthly well-being of man, but Rus', blessed Rus', which in its infancy accepted the foolishness of the Cross, preserved in the depths of its immense soul the image of Christ Crucified and carries it in its heart, is the true light of the world. That Holy Rus', which always lived with a foretaste of the heavenly, first of all sought the Kingdom of God and His truth and was in living communion with Heaven.
The eternal power and beauty of Orthodoxy lies in the wonderful unity of the Heavenly and the earthly. In Russia, Heaven was inseparable from earth: “The Holy Man of Rus' always knew what the eternal meaning of life was and his main goal was to acquire Heavenly blessings”, - Reverend Seraphim reminded his pets more than once.
The life of the Vyritsky ascetic is a whole era in the life of Russia. For several decades, before the eyes of the elder, the most significant events took place in the life of Russian society, which found a lively response in his pure heart. Father Seraphim walked his earthly path, firmly knowing that outside of Orthodoxy there is no salvation, no Resurrection and immortality. “Just never forget God! Keep the holy truths of the Orthodox faith, love our Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart!”- neighbors often heard these words from the lips of the blessed elder.
I hope that the materials offered to respected readers will help them in the most important thing - in the knowledge of Christ in His saints. I hope that the Lord will touch your hearts with His Love. And together with Father Seraphim, I wish everyone salvation in an imperishable and endless life. The earthly is temporary, the heavenly is eternal!
Details about how materials and evidence were collected for my books about St. Seraphim of Vyritsky, as well as little-known information about him, can be found at.
V.P.Filimonov , Russian writer-hagiographer, author of the Life of St. Seraphim Vyritsky and other books about the saints of the Russian Land
Vyritsa is a wonderful village located on the banks of the Oredezha River south of St. Petersburg. It was once part of the Wittgenstein estates, then it became a favorite summer cottage for St. Petersburg residents. The writer and philosopher Vasily Vasilyevich Rozanov loved to relax here. Paleontologist and philosopher Ivan Efremov was born here. Here the great prayer book and mourner of the Russian land, Elder Seraphim, spent the last nineteen years of his life, canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000.In the world his name was Vasily Nikolaevich Muravyov. He was born on March 31, 1866 in the village of Vakhromeevo, Arefinsky volost, Rybinsk district, Yaroslavl province, into the family of pious Orthodox Christians Nikolai Ivanovich Muravyov and his wife Khionia Alimpevna. Since childhood, Vasily showed remarkable abilities - he independently learned to read and write and mathematics. His first books were the Gospel and the Psalter, the lives of the saints. The role models for the future are the desert hermits Macarius the Great, Mary of Egypt, Pachomius the Great, Paul of Thebes, and Anthony the Great.
The Muravyovs often traveled to the holy places of Russia, and everywhere the young man sought to see the life he dreamed of by reading hagiographic literature.
After the premature death of his father, Vasily took upon himself the burden of caring for the family. In St. Petersburg, he got a job as a delivery boy in one of the Gostiny Dvor shops, worked diligently and sent almost all the money to his family. He dreamed of a monastic feat, but this dream was destined to come true only forty years later. The young businessman often traveled from the northern capital to the capital and always visited the Gethsemane monastery of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, where Elder Barnabas (Merkulov), who became his spiritual father, lived. In 1890, with the blessing of the elder, Vasily Muravyov got married. He was destined to live with Olga Ivanovna for thirty years.
Soon, twenty-six-year-old Vasily Nikolaevich opened his own business - a fur trading office. And very quickly he became one of the five main fur traders in St. Petersburg. At the same time, his family observed the strictest, almost monastic rules of Orthodox life! Does this happen among modern businessmen?..
God gave the Muravyovs a son, Nikolai, then a daughter, Olga, but when Olga died in infancy, Vasily Nikolaevich and Olga Ivanovna decided from now on to live as brother and sister, in a kind of secret monasticism.
All Orthodox holidays The Muravyovs celebrated in their own way: they set rich tables at their place and invited the poor to a meal. The fur trader Muravyov generously donated gifts to monasteries and churches, almshouses and hospitals.
The glorification of Seraphim of Sarov made a special impression on Vasily Nikolaevich. He had long revered Elder Seraphim; moreover, he came from a merchant family and in his youth was also engaged in trade.
The spiritual father of the Muravyovs, Elder Varnava, died in 1906 and before his death he gave the couple the blessing to eventually take monastic vows. At the same time, Vasily Muravyov’s friendship began with Archimandrite Veniamin (Kazansky), the future Metropolitan of Petrograd Gdov, hieromartyr. He became the spiritual mentor of Vasily Nikolaevich.
After the revolution of 1917, Muravyov lost his entire fortune and all his enterprises. He lost it voluntarily, realizing that everything would soon be taken away. He distributed what he had acquired to the monasteries - the Holy Dormition Pyukhtitsa, Iversko-Vyksa, St. Petersburg Novodevichy, Iversky, and Alexander Nevsky Lavra. The family was hiding in a two-story house in the village of Tyarlevo, located between Tsarskoe Selo and Pavlovsk. Vasily Nikolaevich and Olga Ivanovna understood: the time had come to fulfill the behest of Elder Barnabas. In the fall of 1920, with the blessing of Bishop Veniamin, the Muravyov couple took monastic vows. Vasily Nikolaevich became monk Barnabas in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, and Olga Ivanovna became nun Christina in the Resurrection Novodevichy Convent in Petrograd.
Soon Brother Barnabas was ordained as a hierodeacon, putting him in charge of the cemetery office. At this time, murders did not stop in Russia, terror brought its victims to the cemetery every day, and the monk Varnava was destined to constantly see the grief of the relatives and friends of these people. It fell to him to become a comforter for them.
On September 11, 1921, Metropolitan Benjamin elevated him to the rank of hieromonk. His knowledge of commerce came in handy now in his position as a candle maker of the Lavra - after all, he had to become the manager of all the funds of the monastery.
The next year brought special sorrow - Bishop Veniamin, the best friend of Hieromonk Barnabas, suffered martyrdom from the Bolsheviks. Barnabas himself was preparing for imminent reprisals. The time was such that arrest was expected every minute. But the man of God always maintained an imperturbable calm. He repeated that everything is given to humanity according to its sins, and one must not grumble at the will of God.
At the turn of 1926-1927. he accepted the great schema and, at sixty years old, henceforth became Seraphim in honor of Seraphim of Sarov. From this time on, he became more and more known among the Orthodox people as a good adviser and comforter. Laymen, priests, and monks came to him for spiritual nourishment. There were cases when he confessed to people for a whole day, or even more. Among the spiritual sons of Elder Seraphim was the one who tonsured him into monasticism - Archimandrite Nikolai (Yarushevich), who was destined to become Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia in 1941. Seraphim also became the confessor of Archbishop Alexy (Simansky) of Khutyn, the future Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy I.
“Try to protect yourself from snares placed outside and inside a person and covered in every possible way with the semblance of truth. They are easily recognized by the fact that they deprive the soul of a peaceful dispensation. Where there is no peace, there are the machinations of the enemy of salvation. From Christ come truth and holy humility. The peace of Christ is a witness to the truth.”
This is how Elder Seraphim taught his spiritual followers: “No matter how much we run from God, we still won’t go anywhere! Let us beg the Lord to keep us faithful to the Holy Orthodox Church.”
Since the late 20s. The gift of healing began to manifest itself in Elder Seraphim. Cases were passed down from mouth to mouth when he, having anointed a sick person with lamp oil, cured him of his ailments. One day they brought a woman to the priest who could not enter the church - she began to shake so much that she could not even raise her hand to make the sign of the cross. Father Seraphim said: “Let’s pray together,” he led the demoniac to the icons, made her kneel, and stood next to her. After praying, he anointed her forehead with oil from the lamp. The unfortunate woman began to writhe, her screams began to sound like a dog barking. The elder covered her with an epitrachelion and read prayers for a long time until the patient calmed down. From that time on, the demonic possession ended, and the healed woman completely forgot about her recent obsession.
Many other cases of healing through the prayers of the elder are known. And every time he demanded that they thank not him, but Seraphim of Sarov, for with his help these miracles are performed.
One of the most famous prophecies of Elder Seraphim is dedicated to Russia: “Now the time has come for repentance and confession.
The Lord Himself has determined punishment for the Russian people for their sins, and until the Lord Himself has mercy on Russia, it makes no sense to go against His holy will. A gloomy night will cover the Russian land for a long time, a lot of suffering and sorrow awaits us ahead.
Therefore, the Lord teaches us: “Through your patience save your souls” (Luke 21:19). We can only trust in God and beg Him for forgiveness.”
A thunderstorm will pass over the Russian land,
The Lord will forgive the sins of the Russian people.
And the holy cross with divine beauty
The temples of God will shine brightly again.
And the ringing of bells throughout our Holy Rus'
He will awaken from sinful sleep to salvation,
The holy monasteries will be opened again,
And faith in God will unite everyone.
He wrote these poems in 1939.
Having reached the age of 64, Elder Seraphim began to get sick - intercostal neuralgia, rheumatism, blockage of the veins in the legs, congestion in the lungs and heart failure. Doctors advised me to change my place of residence and recommended moving to Vyritsa, a climatic resort. Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov), who in the world had the profession of a doctor, familiarized himself with the conclusion of the medical commission and immediately blessed the move. The humble confessor of the Lavra could only accept this as obedience. Together with him in 1930, his ex-wife, now schema-nun Seraphima, and granddaughter Margarita, who became a novice of the Resurrection Novodevichy Convent, went to Vyritsa.
Since the time of the move, Elder Seraphim stopped seeing doctors, perceiving his ailments as a necessary test, but he experienced severe suffering from blockage of the veins - his legs hurt and sometimes became paralyzed. But he said: “Illness is a school of humility, where you truly know your weakness...” One involuntarily recalls “Selected Passages from Correspondence with Friends” by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, his article on illnesses: “Oh! How we need ailments!.. Not to mention the fact that health itself, which constantly pushes a Russian person to make some kind of leaps and the desire to show off his qualities in front of others, would have forced me to do a thousand stupid things... If it weren’t for such painful suffering, where would I wouldn't get carried away now! What a significant person you imagine yourself to be!.. So you too meekly accept any illness, believing in advance that it is needed. Pray to God only that its wonderful meaning and the full depth of its lofty meaning may be revealed to you.”
One of the constant teachings of Elder Seraphim was that there is no need to ask God for anything other than fulfilling the will of the Most High, for the Lord himself knows what to send down to us.
Archbishop of Peterhof Nikolai (Yarushevich) was a regular visitor to Vyritsa. By the beginning of the 40s. he headed the Ukrainian Church, became Archbishop of Volyn and Lutsk, and then Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia. It’s hard to imagine, but in 1941 there were only four metropolitans left - the Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna Sergius (Stragorodsky), Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod Alexy (Simansky), Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia Nikolai (Yarushevich) and Metropolitan of Vilna and Lithuania Sergius (Voskresensky ), and the latter, after the Germans occupied Riga, ended up in occupied territory.
Be that as it may, Vladyka Nikolai considered Stalin a great leader capable of leading the country to victory over fascism. In 1944, he wrote: “In our leader, believers together with the whole country know the greatest of the people our country has produced, who united in his person all the qualities of our Russian heroes and great commanders of the past mentioned above; they see the embodiment of all that is best and bright, which constitutes the sacred spiritual heritage of the Russian people, bequeathed by their ancestors: in it, fiery love for the Motherland and people, the deepest wisdom, the strength of a courageous, unshakable spirit and a fatherly heart were inextricably combined into a single image. Like a military leader, he merged brilliant military skill with the strongest will to win... The name of Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, surrounded by the greatest love of all the peoples of our country, is the banner of glory, prosperity, and greatness of our Motherland.” Probably, Vladyka Nikolai instilled this confidence in Elder Seraphim. And during the war, while under occupation, the Vyritsa elder did not cease to encourage people with assurances that the enemy would be defeated and victory would be ours.
It is common to be surprised that throughout his entire life, Seraphim Vyritsky was never repressed, was not arrested, beaten, or ended up in a camp. But in the first year of the war, Elder Seraphim suffered great grief - the Bolsheviks killed his son! And this is worse than any repression! There is nothing more terrible for a loving parent than the death of his children.
Nikolai Vasilyevich Muravyov was born in 1895. As a student at the Faculty of Law at St. Petersburg University, in 1914, as a true patriot, he volunteered to go to war, served in an aviation company, and was shell-shocked. The hardest blow for my father was that Nicholas deliberately converted from Orthodoxy to Catholicism. As a result, his life turned out somehow absurdly - he tried to go to Yudenich, failed, and began to serve in the Red Army. He got married and had a daughter, Margarita, but the marriage broke up. I wanted to run abroad, but fell in love with a pop artist. As a result, he stayed in Russia and married again. Then a daughter, Olga, was born, but this marriage soon broke up. Nikolai was arrested on a fabricated case, and his artist wife left with her daughter Olga for another artist. After his release, Nikolai married for the third time and had a son, Alexander. The wife and son settled in Vyritsa not far from the house where Father Seraphim lived with Mother Seraphim and Nikolai’s first daughter, Margarita... And Nikolai got himself a fourth wife, with whom he lived illegally; she bore him a son, named Ermingeld in Catholicism. It is amazing that, being the son of such a luminary of Orthodoxy, Nikolai Vasilyevich remained a convinced Catholic! In January 1941, when he decided to visit his legal family, Nikolai was arrested. And those close to him knew nothing about his future fate. And he was shot in Yekaterinburg (Sverdlovsk) on September 4, 1941. A man who could again defend his Fatherland. After all, he was only 46 years old.
Nicholas's family remained living in Vyritsa under Elder Seraphim. His granddaughter Margarita, a strong-willed and brave girl, became his real assistant. More than once she blocked the way for uninvited guests, unwanted visitors. Once she told the security officers: “I won’t let you in!”, and they did not dare to use force against her. But Margarita immediately distinguished those who really needed her grandfather’s support.
Everyone who came to Vyritsa was surprised by the peculiar manner of Elder Seraphim’s communication with people. He loved to kiss, hug, stroke a person, touch him with his forehead, that is, he behaved the way we usually behave with children, especially when they need to be consoled.
Others brought him donations, which he then transferred either to the Pyukhtitsa Monastery or to the Kazan Church of Vyritsa.
“How will I look before the Lord if I keep the money for myself! - he said. - If you have a ruble in your wallet, give it to the poor, leaving a penny for yourself, and you will never have money transferred. Let's do it without regret, then God will reward you! If you regret and grumble, you will lose the latter..."
The memories of people have left us evidence of the great asceticism that Elder Seraphim Vyritsky imposed on himself. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays he ate nothing at all; on other days he drank tea with bread or ate one potato and a little grated carrot, and sometimes he was content with only prosphora and water. The priests of the Kazan Church came daily to give him communion. .
Among the visitors to Vyritsa there were many world-famous scientists. Contrary to Soviet propaganda, which presented, for example, Academician Pavlov as a complete atheist, Ivan Petrovich remained a deeply religious person until the end of his days. He was terribly worried about the destruction of temples and tried to fight against it in a somewhat naive way, which seemed cunning to him: Pavlov assured the Bolsheviks that after some time scientists would prove that there is no God, and then it would be possible to destroy temples. He hoped thereby to gain time, and then, lo and behold, times would change. So, Ivan Petrovich was a regular guest of Seraphim, including coming to Vyritsa.
Other luminaries of science also came to him - academician of astronomy Sergei Pavlovich Glazenap, professor of pharmacology Mikhail Ivanovich Gramenitsky, professor-homeopath Sergei Serapionovich Favorsky, academician Vladimir Aleksandrovich Fok, known for his works in the field of quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity, academician of biology Leon Abgarovich Orbeli.
There were other visitors too. The security officers came to Vyritsa several times, and once with the clear intention of arresting the elder. But Seraphim “tamed” them in his own way - he affectionately addressed the chief security officer by name, and he, struck by the light of the elder’s eyes, abandoned his intention to make an arrest.
Until the end of his days, Elder Seraphim did not stop performing miracles of healing. Through his prayers, people were even healed from blindness and mental insanity. He healed, as we have already noted, those possessed by demons.
In the fall of 1941, the Germans occupied Vyritsa. From that time on, the elder began to pray with even greater zeal for the salvation of Russia, standing for many hours on the stone, like Seraphim of Sarov. According to the grandchildren’s recollections, “in the garden, behind the house, about fifty meters away, a granite boulder protruded from the ground, in front of which a small apple tree grew. It was on this stone that Fr. raised his petitions to the Lord. Seraphim. They led him by the arms to the place of prayer, and sometimes they simply carried him. The icon was fixed on the apple tree, and the grandfather stood with his sore knees on the stone and stretched out his hands to the sky... What did it cost him! Apparently, the Lord Himself helped him, but it was impossible to look at all this without tears. We repeatedly begged him to leave this feat - after all, it was possible to pray in the cell, but in this case he was merciless both to himself and to us.”
Romanian soldiers were stationed in Vyritsa, subordinate to German officers. One day the Germans came to talk to Father Seraphim. When he was a merchant, he had a lot of dealings with Germans and Austrians, spoke excellent German and willingly agreed to talk.
And just like in the Time of Troubles Venerable Irinarch Rostovsky predicted the imminent death of the Poles who came to him, and Elder Seraphim boldly declared to the German captain, who asked whether he would soon march along Palace Square: “This will never happen.”
Moreover, he predicted the death of the captain himself, saying that, hastily retreating under the onslaught of the Russian army, he would lay down his head near Warsaw. In 1980, a Romanian officer who served under this captain would come to Vyritsa to bow to the grave of Elder Seraphim and tell him that the elder’s prediction had completely come true.
As soon as Vyritsa was liberated from the Nazis, Metropolitan Alexy (Simansky) came to visit Elder Seraphim, and he predicted his imminent patriarchate. And so it happened: on February 2, 1945, he became the new Patriarch, Alexy I.
In the same victorious year of 1945, his faithful wife, schema-nun Seraphim (Olga Ivanovna Muravyova), died. The elder bequeathed to bury himself next to her. It was an amazing Christian marriage, similar to the marriage of the holy righteous Peter and Fevronia. They loved each other, gave birth to children, then accepted monastic vow and until the end of their lives they stayed together as brother and sister...
In recent years, the elder almost never got out of bed, so much did his illness overcome him. On April 3, 1949, with the words “Save, Lord, and have mercy on the whole world,” he passed into eternal life, leaving the temporary earthly vale. During the funeral service, one of the four students of theological schools who were honored to stand at the tomb of the great elder was Alexei Ridiger - the future His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II. And half a century later, during his Patriarchate, in 2000, Elder Seraphim Vyritsky was canonized as a saint of Russia Orthodox Church.
Among the prophecies of Elder Seraphim there are also ones about future times, which seem to be already approaching:
“The time will come when not persecution, but money and the charms of this world will turn people away from God and many more souls will perish than during the times of open fight against God. On the one hand, they will erect crosses and gild domes, and on the other, the kingdom of lies and evil will come.”
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, at the celebrations dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the death of Elder Seraphim, said this about him: “Fateful events in the life of our family always took place with the blessing of Seraphim Vyritsky, so the memory of the saint is always kept in our family. I always prayed to him in difficult moments of my life. Why did St. Seraphim Vyritsky become a saint? Why do so many come to his grave? Because he corrected people with a spirit of meekness.”
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you don’t read the nonsense of predictions, but just type in Yandex - the composition of the forces of the Eastern Military District of Russia... and you will see that there will be no war... that from Irkutsk to Vladivostok we only have...
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At the moment, there are no significant ground forces of the Russian Federation in the Far East and Primorye. There is the 18th artillery division in the Kuril Islands and the 55th Marine Division as part of the Pacific Fleet. Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands are the area of responsibility of the 68th Corps. The main strength of the corps is the 18th artillery division - 1 regiment and headquarters on Iturup. The rest of its units are in Kunashir. Armament of the 18th division: 18 T-72B3 tanks; 36 units 152-mm self-propelled guns 2S5 "Giacint" and towed 152-mm "Giacint-B"; about 16 MLRS 300-mm 9K58 “Smerch” and 122-mm BM-21 “Grad”. It's even worse on Sakhalin. There is one 39th motorized rifle brigade there. In service: 41 T-72B tanks, 36 2S5 Giatsint self-propelled guns, 18 120-mm 2S12 Sani mortars, 18 122-mm BM-21 MLRS, 12 Konkurs self-propelled ATGMs. The brigade has at its disposal radio technical and engineer regiments, but they cannot conduct combined arms combat. Since 2016, coastal defenses have been strengthened there. 2 divisions of the 720th missile brigade of the Pacific Fleet were sent to the Kuril Islands. On Iturup - DBK "Bastion", and on Kunashir - DBK "Bal". But not more.
In Primorye there are 3 motorized rifle brigades and 1 motorized rifle brigade in the Khabarovsk Territory, all of which are part of the 5th Army of the Eastern Military District. They can receive support from the 29th Army in the Trans-Baikal Territory - 1 motorized rifle brigade, the 36th Army from Buryatia - 1 tank and 1 motorized rifle brigade, the 35th Army in the Amur Region - 2 motorized rifle brigades, and in addition 1 special forces brigade and 2 air assault brigades of district subordination. There are 3 artillery, 3 missile and 1 rocket artillery brigades, and 3 anti-aircraft missile brigades in the VO.
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