REVEREND NIKON OF OPTINA (1888-1931) After the closure of the Optina Hermitage in 1923, the Reverend Nikon, with the blessing of the last archimandrite of the Optina Hermitage, Isaac II, remained to serve at the monastery church in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. Staying within the walls

Venerable Maximus the Confessor (580–662) Venerable Maximus the Confessor. Icon. XVII century Solvychegodsk So that I do not deviate from the right faith. In the middle of the 6th century, in the center of Constantinople, next to the imperial palace, the grandiose temple of Hagia Sophia, the Wisdom, was built

NIKON, Rev., fourth abbot of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery. During the life of Rev. Anthony Nikon was the priest of the monastery and tonsured the brethren who came to the cave, among whom were the monks Varlaam and Ephraim. The tonsure of these favorites of Izyaslav Yaroslavich brought the wrath of the great

NIKON Sukhoi, Venerable Pechersky was born in Kyiv from parents famous for their birth and wealth; tonsured at the Kiev Pechersk monastery. During the invasion of the Polovtsian Khan Bonyak (1096) in the Kyiv region, Nikon with the Rev. Eustratius and other monastics were taken captive and

NIKON, Rev., second abbot of the Trinity St. Sergius Monastery, was born in the city of Yuryev. Having reached adulthood, Nikon took the blessing from St. Sergius of Radonezh and went to the city of Serpukhov, to the Vysotsky Monastery, where he was tonsured by Athanasius, a disciple of St.

Memory Venerable Nikon of Optina celebrated in the Russian Orthodox Church on July 8 according to the new style. In addition, this saint is venerated on October 24, the day of the Council of the Optina Elders and the day of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia.

Eldership in the Orthodox Church
Among Russian monasteries, famous for their shrines and great ascetics, Optina Pustyn occupies a special place. It was in this monastery that such an amazing phenomenon of spiritual life as eldership became widespread. This means special leadership in the matter of salvation, which is carried out by a spiritually experienced and perspicacious person. As a rule, an elder is a monk in advanced years, who has himself gone through many years of spiritual struggle and temptation, thanks to which he can provide spiritual help to a believer, relying on the teachings of the Church and his experience. Although eldership existed in different Orthodox countries, in Russia it was most widespread and therefore can be considered a special phenomenon of Russian spiritual life. In Optina Hermitage there were fourteen elders, to whom people flocked from all over Russia to receive advice, consolation and spiritual support. The last Optina elder and confessor of the monastery was the Monk Nikon (Belyaev).

Biography of Saint Nikon of Optina
The future saint (in the world Nikolai Mitrofanovich Belyaev) was born in 1888 in Moscow into a merchant family. This class in Russia was distinguished by great piety, and the Belyaev family was no exception, so Nikolai was brought up in a special religious atmosphere from childhood. There is a known case from his life when, in infancy, he became seriously ill and was near death, but his mother begged for her son and he recovered. From childhood, Nikolai was distinguished by his seriousness, patience and sincere faith. After graduating from high school, he entered the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics at Moscow University, but later admitted that he was more drawn to worship services than to classes and, instead of university, he would rather attend church. Therefore, Nikolai Belyaev soon left his studies, wishing to join monastic path. His brother Ivan also strove for monasticism, and the young people went to Optina Pustyn.
In 1910 Nikolai Belyaev was tonsured a monk, and five years later he accepted the minor schema with the name Nikon. In 1917 he was ordained a hieromonk.
In those years, in the Optina Hermitage, the elder ministry was carried out by the Monk Barsanuphius, under whose spiritual guidance Nikon grew, becoming one of the closest disciples of the great elder. In 1919, Optina Pustyn was closed, and Nikon was arrested along with other monks and laymen and spent some time in Kozelsk prison. After his release, he received the blessing to receive people coming to the shrines of Optina Pustyn for confession, despite the closure of the monastery. Thus, the Monk Nikon became the last elder of this monastery. This was followed by another arrest and three years in a camp, after which the elder was sent into exile in the Arkhangelsk region, where he died in 1931 from tuberculosis acquired during the years of living in the camp.
The Monk Nikon Belyaev was revered for a long time as a locally revered saint, but in 2000 he was glorified among the Optina elders.
The Literary Heritage of St. Nikon Even during his novitiate, Nikolai Belyaev began to keep a diary, with the blessing of his spiritual mentor, in which he made notes about the life of the monastery. Of particular value to this diary are the teachings of Elder Barsanuphius. In addition, his sermons and conversations that he had with his spiritual children have reached us. A small but very important literary work is the brochure “Testament to Spiritual Children.” These thoughts were written down by the Monk Nikon during his exile in the margins of the book of Ignatius Brianchaninov, whom he greatly revered.

Troparion to the Council of the Reverend Fathers and Elders who shone forth in the Optina Hermitage, tone 6:
Lamps of the Orthodox faith, / unshakable pillars of monasticism, / comforters of the Russian land, / reverend elders of Optinstia, / who have acquired the love of Christ and laid down their souls for their children, / pray to the Lord, / that your earthly fatherland may establish your earthly fatherland in Orthodoxy and piety, / and save our souls

Kontakion, tone 4:
Truly marvelous is God in His saints, / the wilderness of Optina, like the heirloom of the elders, revealed, / where the divinely enlightened fathers, / who knew the secrets of the human heart, / the people of God, sorrowful women of goodness, appeared: / these, who were burdened with sin, were instructed on the path of repentance, / those wavering in faith by the light of Christ’s teaching having enlightened/ and taught God’s wisdom,/ given suffering and healing to the suffering and weak,/ now, abiding in the glory of God,/ we pray unceasingly for our souls.

Magnification:
We bless you, Reverend Father Nikon, and honor your holy memory, mentor of monks and interlocutor of Angels.

Prayer:
Oh, sacred Nikon, oh our reverend father, the bright crown of the eldership of Optina and the fragrant flower of the new Russian martyrs! You first cleansed your soul with fasting labors, you put the demonic militia to shame, by obedience, as if by a fleeting ladder you reached the heights of virtues and the blessed confessor of faith appeared. In the time of godless persecution, you courageously clothed yourself with patience, and like a good shepherd and like a true son of the elders of Optina, you accepted and consoled the suffering people. For this reason, you endured many sorrows from those who fought against God and you were condemned to exile, but just as then you did not separate from your flock in spirit, but you have well preserved the shepherd flute of your prayers for your sheep, and now, do not depart from your children in your spirit, but ever Stay with us, may we be strengthened by you, may we truly preserve the faith and may we fully fulfill the covenants of the Optina elders.
Above all, pray to our All-Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, may He establish our Church, Fatherland and people in Orthodoxy, may He preserve monastic monasteries, faithful to the monastic vow, may He grant us forgiveness of sins and true repentance, and having been purified by this, we will love the only thing we need: to cleave To Christ our God and Savior with all our heart, with all our thought, with all our will and with all our feeling, loving nothing from the lusts of this world and thus freeing ourselves from the snares of the ruler of the darkness of this age, in humility let us sing and glorify the all-holy name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and ever forever and ever. Amen.

The Venerable Optina Elder Nikon, confessor (in the world Nikolai Mitrofanovich Belyaev), was born on September 26, 1888 in Moscow. His childhood was spent in a large and friendly merchant family. From his parents he inherited a love for the Church, purity and severity of character. Over the years, Nikolai and his younger brother Ivan developed and strengthened a conscious desire for spiritual life. They decided to go to a monastery, but did not know which one. They cut the list of Russian monasteries into strips and, after praying, pulled out a strip on which was written: “Kozelskaya Vvedenskaya Optina Hermitage.”

The houses did not interfere with the good decision, and on February 24, 1907, the day the head of John the Baptist was found, the brothers arrived in Optina. The Venerable Elder Barsanuphius received them both with love, but somehow made special mention of Nicholas. From the very first conversations, they felt an inexplicable close connection with each other, what is called “spiritual kinship.”

On December 9, 1907, on the day of the celebration of the icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy,” the Belyaev brothers were accepted into the skete brethren. In October 1908, Brother Nikolai was appointed clerk to Elder Barsanuphius and was released from all obediences except church singing and reading. By this time, he became the closest disciple and companion of Elder Barsanuphius, who, foreseeing his high destiny, prepared him to be his successor, passing on to him his spiritual and life experience, and guided his spiritual life.

In April 1910, Nikolai was tonsured into the ryassophore, and on May 24, 1915 - into the mantle. He received the name Nikon in honor of the holy martyr Nikon (September 28). On April 10, 1916, the Monk Nikon was ordained a hierodeacon, and on November 3, 1917, he was awarded the rank of hieromonk.

After the October coup, Optina was closed and persecution began. “I will die, but I will not leave” - this is what St. Nikon wrote in his diary, while still a novice of the monastery. These words expressed the general mood of the Optina brethren. Able-bodied monks created an “agricultural artel” that provided food. It was then that the Monk Nikon worked zealously, doing everything possible to preserve the monastery. It was hard in Optina, but services in churches continued. He was arrested for the first time on September 17, 1919. In the summer of 1923, the monastery was finally closed; the brethren, except for twenty workers at the museum, were driven out onto the street. The rector, Reverend Isaac, having served the last cathedral liturgy in the Kazan Church, handed over the keys to the Reverend Nikon, blessed him to serve and receive pilgrims for confession. So the Monk Nikon, for his holy obedience to the abbot, became the last Optina elder. At the same time, the Monk Nektarios, who was in exile, began to direct his spiritual children to the Monk Nikon. Before this, the Monk Nikon did not dare to give advice to those who turned to him, and when he began to receive people, when giving advice, he always referred to the words of the Optina elders. Expelled from the monastery in June 1924, he settled in Kozelsk, served in the Assumption Church, received people, fulfilling his pastoral duty. In those terrible years, the faithful children of the Church especially needed strengthening and consolation, and St. Nikon was precisely such a spiritual support. He was arrested in June 1927 along with his father Kirill (Zlenko). The Monk Nikon spent three terrible years in the Kemperpunkt camp.

At the end of his term, he was sentenced to exile in the Arkhangelsk region. Before being sent, the doctor found that the Monk Nikon had a severe form of pulmonary tuberculosis and advised him to ask for a change in place of exile. Accustomed to doing everything for obedience, the Monk Nikon asked for advice from Father Agapit, who was exiled with him. He advised not to resist God’s will, and Saint Nikon humbled himself.

On August 3/16, 1930, he was “moved” from Arkhangelsk to the city of Pinega. Sick, he wandered for a long time in search of housing until he reached an agreement with a resident of the village of Voepola. In addition to the high pay, she demanded that the priest, as a farm laborer, do all the hard physical work. The health of the Monk Nikon worsened every day, he was malnourished. One day, due to overwork, he was unable to get up. And then the hostess began to drive him out of the house.

Father Peter (Drachev), also an exiled Optina resident, transported the dying man to his neighboring village and looked after him there. Physical suffering did not darken the spirit of the faithful servant of God: immersed in prayer, he shone with unearthly joy and light. In the last months of his illness, he received the Holy Mysteries of Christ almost daily. On the very day of his blessed death, June 25/July 8, 1931, he took communion and listened to the canon on the outcome of the soul. The face of the deceased was unusually white, bright, smiling joyfully at something. By the providence of God, twelve people gathered together for the burial of the blessed elder St. Nikon. He was buried in the monastic order in the cemetery of the village of Valdokurye. The Lord, granting His faithful servant a peaceful death, and upon his repose honored him with a burial appropriate to his rank and merits.

The memory of him is alive in the souls of those who love and remember him. On the day of the blessed death of our reverend father Nikon, the Optina monks, starting on July 8, 1989, serve requiem services at his resting place in the cemetery in Valdokurye. The life of the righteous begins at their death...

September 26, 1888 – June 25 (07/08) 1931

Reverend Confessor Nikon (Belyaev)

“Lord, let me meet with peace of mind everything that the coming day will bring me. Let me completely surrender to Your holy will...” – The prayer of the last Optina elders is included in many today Orthodox prayer books. It was compiled at a time when none of the brethren at the beginning of the day could say what awaited their monastery in the evening.

In 1923, Optina faced a new blow: the agricultural artel, under the guise of which the monastery existed for some time after the revolution, was abolished and a museum was founded on its territory, which was under the jurisdiction of Glavnauka. Temples, a refectory, a monastery, seventy hectares of the monastery forest and even a cemetery were placed at the disposal of the museum. About ten to fifteen of the monks were left as guards and workers, and everyone else was ordered to leave Optina Pustyn. Wanderings began: most moved to Kozelsk, some found shelter in neighboring villages: Stenino and Nizhnie Pryski. At the request of the peasants, the monks were still allowed to perform services in the Kazan Church.

Fr. was left as serving priest. Nikon (Belyaev). Like the captain of a shipwrecked ship, Fr. Nikon did not leave the monastery until the last opportunity.

Smooth burning

Way o. Nikon from the world to the monastery was unusual. Two brothers, Nikolai and Ivan Belyaev, who grew up in a pious Moscow merchant family, came to Moscow, wanting to join the brethren.

Novices Nikolai and Ivan Belyaev

The youngest, Ivanushka, was “burning” with monasticism, and he was the main inspirer of their step. While still at the gymnasium, with the impetuosity characteristic of youth, he wrote a letter to his classmates condemning everything vain, earthly and transitory.

Belyaev brothers. Nikolai - sitting on the right

Nikolai was the eldest and had a more balanced character, and at the same time, more open. In the family, it was usually he who imparted to everyone the spirit of simple-minded, childish fun. Now, compared to his brother, he looked more indecisive, doubting his ability to take a path that required, especially in the first segment, not only great patience, but also physical endurance. However, it was on him that the gaze of the elder, the head of the monastery, Father Barsanuphius, fell, who foresaw in him his future closest student.

Nikolay Belyaev

The brothers were in that state of inspiration, partly due to their young age, when the Lord gives an answer to those who ask for one sincerity of hope. Having prayed once and asking God to show them the monastery where it would be best, most convenient for them to undergo the monastic career, they cut into ribbons a dilapidated directory with a list of Russian monasteries that was lying unused, and drew lots.

On a piece of paper, yellowed with time, it said: “Kozelskaya Vvedenskaya Optina Pustyn,” about which they had never heard anything until then.

The Belyaevs' teacher of the law, Fr. Peter Sakharov advised them to turn to Bishop Tryphon (Turkestan), a former tonsure of Optina Pustyn. Without delaying their plans, then, in February 1907, Ivan and Nikolai informed their mother of their desire to enter the monastery, asking for her parental blessing.

Belyaev family. Nikolai Belyaev - standing on the far left

Vera Lavrentievna Belyaeva’s surprise knew no bounds - Kolya had until then shown interest in the current of social life(i) and, moreover, was a student at the university’s physics and mathematics department, and Ivanushka was still in the senior class of the gymnasium - however, she prevented the children’s aspirations became. Bishop Tryphon calmed her fears, saying that in Optina they would learn only good things, and, no matter how long they stayed there, in the future they would gratefully remember the spiritual lessons they received there.

The archpastoral blessing has great power. Having endured in Optina and overcoming some of the difficulties that they encountered at the beginning, Nikolai and Ivan were accepted into the number of novices of the monastery.

Under the guidance of the elder

Independent, unsystematic reading was not encouraged at Optina. Not only the sequence mattered, but also the reading in accordance with the internal growth of novices and monks. What was read was reinforced in everyday communication, the commandments were carried out in practice.

And soon Nikolai turned to Fr. Barsanuphius with deep, reverent affection. " This is the first time I’ve seen such a person... Father is a great old man! I am becoming more and more convinced of this... It is very difficult to live without an elder", he wrote in his diary (iii).

And the external steps of the monastic path (iv) were not so important as the fact that in the monastery of St. John the Baptist the soul found peace and tranquility and found its place.

« For me, the past is the world, and the present is Skeet. And I thank God... I really feel very good here - it’s peaceful, there are no sorrows. If there are sometimes temptations from the brethren, they quickly pass and do not particularly bother me... I think that the Lord consoles me, wanting to show me the sweets of monastic life... nothing bothers me, and I don’t wish for anything better... I begin to understand the words of Father: How We must thank You, Lord, that You tore us away from the world and brought us here! Now I ask one thing from the Lord: that I may live all the days of my life in Thy house.”(v)

For someone who decided to devote his whole life to serving God, there was no need for external impressions. The highest consolation was to read that wondrous book that the Lord opened before him. Every event in it testified that there is nothing accidental in the world, in everything - big and small - His hand and His holy providence are present, just be able to see and notice how the earthly and heavenly are connected.

Nicholas left the world on the day of the Holy Martyr. Anastasia the Pattern-Resolver, as if freed from worldly cares, and they settled in the monastery on the Eve of the Nativity of Christ in order to be born into a new life.

The awakening in him of the desire for monastic life was arranged through his brother - John, whose saint was the heavenly patron of Skete -.

But there was one more circumstance - perhaps an omen of his future fate. Before leaving the world, Nicholas spent a long time in solitary prayer, choosing for this the Moscow Miracle Monastery, in the dungeon of which the Patriarch-martyr Hermogenes was tortured by the Poles who captured Moscow in the time of troubles.

And Nicholas was destined to take the same path of confession of faith, testifying to the world about his fidelity to the Orthodox Church.

His elder also saw this definition about him. More than once, suffering for his pupil, he said things that were incomprehensible amid the prosperity of those years; however, his words came to mind later:

« God! Save Your servant Nicholas! Be his Helper! Protect him when he has neither shelter nor shelter!"(vi)

« ...You will see the day of cruelty... Mark my words... You will have to shed a lot of sweat, blood and tears... And my baby will come to my grave and say to me: “Dear daddy, Father Barsanuphius! Help me, pray for me, it’s very difficult for me!"(vii)

And one word from the elder indicated that the sorrows that he predicted would concern not only his disciples, but also the entire Church in Russia:

« The monasteries will be in great persecution and oppression. The time will come when Optina will be hard... True Christians will huddle in small churches... We will leave, and you will be participants in all these contemporary horrors. You will live to see terrible times"(viii)

And one day, the serene life in the Optina monastery, this “earthly paradise” where the time of apprenticeship passed, ended for the monk, and a thorny and painful path opened up, on which he still had to acquire “earthly paradise” in his soul, without having a single piece of his own land under feet.

Hieromonk Nikon (right)

Climbing

The first blow was the sudden transfer of Elder Barsanuphius to the Moscow diocese, the reason for which was the turmoil started by the laity who arbitrarily interfered in the internal life of the monastery. How a 67-year-old elder agreed to bear the cross to a new and difficult obedience for him - abbot of the Staro-Golutvin Monastery. In the short time allotted to him, he did everything that was in his power (xix), but a year later, in April 1913, he quietly died out, like a candle, “outside the city,” outside Optina (x).

Then the First World War began, ending with revolution and the overthrow of the legitimate government. In the first years after the coup, most of the monasteries were closed and destroyed, but Optina held on with all its might. And then, amid persecution, the monastery especially benefited from the knowledge, diligence and organizing abilities of its closest student, Fr. Barsanuphia.

By that time, Nikolai had already been tonsured into a mantle with a new name - Nikon, and in November 1917 - ordained to the rank of hieromonk. Having once written in his diary: “I will die, and not leave,” in a critical situation, he not only became responsible for all the economic aspects of the life of the monastery, but also, with the blessing of the archimandrite, took on the duties of confessor and elder. “Many people came to Optina back then for spiritual support and consolation.

Father Nikon

The first arrest of 1919 did not frighten him or change his mood. The next one, in 1927, simultaneously with the closure of the museum, was installed by Fr. Nikon joins the ranks of confessors. According to a fabricated case, the priest, who led a solitary life (xi), was imprisoned, and on January 27, 1928, he was sent to prison.

Relatively tolerant conditions of detention at the transit point in Kemi and on Popov Island in the Karelian Republic, where, due to poor health (xii), Fr. Nikon was assigned a position as a warehouse watchman and an office employee, which was replaced by a most difficult ordeal after his release and assignment to settlement.

A short stay in Arkhangelsk among spiritually close people ended with a “movement” to Pinega, where Fr. With great difficulty, Nikon managed to find housing in the village of Voepola, three kilometers from the city, where he had to go to check in.

Until that moment, he had to endure malnutrition, cold, and illness. However, there was still the opportunity to read, pray, write letters to spiritual children, and now he had to experience the exceptional cruelty of the landlady who agreed to rent out the corner to him. Seeing the hopelessness of Fr. Nikona, the woman demanded that he do all the hard work, continuing to treat the priest as a “farmboy” even when, due to another hemorrhage and an open wound on his leg, he fell ill with a temperature of 40. The exiled priest who came to see him - Fr. Peter saw Fr. Nikon was completely helpless lying on two stools: having learned that he had tuberculosis, the hostess in a rage took the bed out of his room and began to expose him to the cold.

From this day until the last moment Fr. Peter, who took him in, patiently and carefully took care of him. Father Nikon was melting away day by day. The temperature was elevated in the morning and by the evening it exceeded 40; in recent weeks, due to pain and weakness, the priest could hardly eat at all, and only asked for tea. Shortly before his death, he saw the Optina elders appear to him and strengthen him with prayer. And before leaving, he was given consolation: in the last days the pain subsided, and his death was peaceful and painless.

The house where the Monk Nikon died

At the funeral service for the new confessor of the Russian Orthodox Church, 12 clergy from among the exiles arrived, miraculously gathered together: just a few days before they were on a “business trip” in the forest, 60 km from their home, and suddenly they were all released. The earth saw off Fr. Nikon with honors worthy of a bishop.

The grave of St. Nikon

The instructions of Father Nikon (Belyaev) that have reached our time are simple, but there is a lot of wisdom in them. One of the most important themes for him is a reminder that it is not the vestments, the hood, or the mantle that saves. He tried to warn those who follow the spiritual path against terrible substitutions and pride: “ The importance is in Christianity, not in monasticism. Monasticism is important to the extent that it leads to perfect Christianity"(xiii); " The passion of vanity destroys faith in the human heart"(xiv).

He taught patience, true humility, not demonstrative and not external, which cannot be acquired otherwise than by accepting everything that happens in life as from the hand of the Lord: “ The Lord does not allow temptations beyond our measure and strength"(xv).

Manuscript about. Nikon

Footnotes:

i For a harsh demonstration during the events of 1905, the class where Nikolai Belyaev and his brother Sergei studied was expelled from the gymnasium, although with the right to take final exams. But it was the events of 1905-1907. determined a change in Nikolai's attitude to life and caused disappointment in attempts to change social conditions by force.

ii“The path of obedience is the surest and fastest,” Fr. wrote to his students. Barsanuphius, “For the fulfillment of obedience, which surpasses the natural strength of man, the Lord gives strength if the novice takes up the task precisely as obedience, accepting it as from the hand of the Lord, as a manifestation of the will of God.”

iii Quote From: Life of Hieromonk Nikon. Reverend Optina elders. Edition of Vvedenskaya Optina Pustyn. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II. 1996. P. 92

iv In April 1910, on the day of the Holy Martyrs Agapia, Irene and Chionia, Nicholas was tonsured into the ryassophore.

v Quote From: Life of Hieromonk Nikon. Reverend Optina elders. P. 107

vi Life of Hieromonk Nikon. Reverend Optina elders. P. 223

vii Life of Hieromonk Nikon. Reverend Optina elders. P. 253

viii Life of Hieromonk Nikon. Reverend Optina elders. P. 257

ix In a new place, in Kolomna, he put the neglected affairs of the monastery in order, spiritually gathered, and disciplined the brethren.

x After his repose, the relics of Elder Barsanuphius were transferred with honors to Optina Pustyn for the sake of hundreds and thousands of people who came here to see him during his lifetime.

xi Father Nikon was living in Kozelsk by that time, sharing an apartment with the Optina monk Fr. Kirill (Zlenko) and accepting people with great caution.

xii In addition to thrombophlebitis - inflammation of blood vessels in the leg, accompanied by pain and hemorrhages, he was found to have a tuberculosis process in an advanced stage.

xii Quote From: Life of Hieromonk Nikon. Reverend Optina elders. P.371

xiv Quote From: Life of Hieromonk Nikon. Reverend Optina elders. P. 370

xv Quote From: Life of Hieromonk Nikon. Reverend Optina elders. P. 372

1. M.: “Polygraph Atelier Plus”, 2004
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3. Reverend elders of Optina Pustyn. Lives. Miracles. Teachings. Orthodox parish of Hama Icon of the Kazan Mother of God in Yasenevo. 2000
4. Bearers of the spirit of Saint Ignatius. Spiritual advice for modern Christians. M.: “Format T”, 2009
5. Optina almanac. Shrines hidden. Vvedensky stauropegial monastery Optina Pustyn, 2008
6. Kontsevich I. M. Optina Pustyn and its time. Serg. P., 1995
7. Prot. Sergiy Chetverikov. Optina Pustyn. Paris YMCA-PRESS 1988
8. Soulful teachings of the Venerable Optina Elders. Edition of Vvedenskaya Optina Pustyn. 2006
9. Optina flower garden. Sayings of the Venerable Elders of Optina. M.: Orthodox St. Tikhon's Humanitarian University. 2007

The holy relics of St. Nikon were not found

Brief Life

Reverend Nikon was the last of a host of elders of the Optina Hermitage known not only in Russia, but also beyond its borders. Optina elder Nikon, confessor (in the world Nikolai Mitrofanovich Belyaev), was born on September twenty-six, 1888 in Moscow into a large, friendly and pious family of Moscow merchants Belyaev. In Baptism he was named Nicholas - in honor of St. Nicholas, the Wonderworker of Myra. From his parents he inherited a love for the Church, purity and severity of character.

One incident that happened with his mother, Vera Lavrentyevna, deserves attention. One day, the Righteous John of Kronstadt visited the Belyaevs’ house. After serving a prayer service, he blessed the young mother and gave her his photograph with his own signature and date - “the year 1888, the year of birth of his son Nikolai.”

Kolya grew up as a cheerful, playful child. Despite some clumsiness, he was very dexterous, enterprising and inventive in various children's games and amusements. But at the same time, another extraordinary event happened to him. At the age of five, the boy became seriously ill. All the doctors' efforts to save him were unsuccessful. Embracing the cold, lifeless body of the baby, his mother fervently prayed to St. Nicholas to save his life. And a miracle happened. Dead child came to life. Subsequently, the Optina elder Barsanuphius especially emphasized the mysterious significance of this incident, in the sense of Nicholas’s obvious destiny for monastic life.

It should also be said about the upbringing that Nikolai Belyaev and his brothers and sisters received. Their parents made sure that the children not only learned secular sciences and music, but also that they grew up to be pious people.

The little Belyaevs visited the temple almost every day. We followed the morning and evening prayer rules. The Gospel and the lives of the saints were often read aloud in the house. Nicholas’s younger brother Ivanushka, who dreamed of becoming a monk, was particularly pious. Over the years, Nikolai and his younger brother Ivan developed and strengthened a conscious desire for spiritual life.

After graduating from high school, Nikolai Belyaev began studying at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of Moscow University. However, his heart was occupied with something else - “the only thing needed.” He and his brother decided to go to a monastery, but did not know which one. They cut the list of Russian monasteries into strips and, after praying, pulled out a strip on which was written: “Kozelskaya Vvedenskaya Optina Hermitage.”

On February 11, 1907, Nikolai and Ivan Belyaev announced to their mother their desire to enter a monastery. Vera Lavrentievna blessed her sons with copper crosses. Subsequently, having become hieromonk Nikon, Nikolai carried and preserved his mother’s blessing through all his suffering.

The houses did not interfere with the good decision, and on the twenty-fourth of February 1907, the day the head of John the Baptist was found, the brothers arrived in Optina. The Venerable Elder Barsanuphius received them both with love, but somehow made special mention of Nicholas. From the very first conversations, they felt an inexplicable close connection with each other, what is called “spiritual kinship.” The brothers visited Optina several times.

On December 9, 1907, on the day of the celebration of the icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy,” the Belyaev brothers were accepted into the skete brethren and settled in the St. John the Baptist monastery of the Optina Hermitage. At this time, Nikolai was nineteen years old, Ivan was seventeen. For about a year they underwent various obediences, including those related to hard physical labor, which was previously unfamiliar to them.

Nikolai willingly and cheerfully fulfilled all the obediences assigned to him. With an equally joyful face, he worked in the refectory: he swept away snow, carried firewood, washed dishes, swept the floor. In the church he was an assistant sexton. He worked in the garden: carried manure, dug, planted. Spoiled and raised almost in luxury, unaccustomed to physical labor, Nikolai was not burdened by anything. His soul knew neither despondency, nor discontent, nor grumbling. Having withstood the preliminary test, on January twenty-ninth, 1908, the brothers were enrolled in the brotherhood of the monastery as novices.

Their spiritual leader was the monastery leader, Abbot Barsanuphius. Along with general obediences, the Monk Barsanuphius also involved Nicholas in the work of writing. In February 1908, Nikolai was appointed assistant librarian. In October 1908, he was appointed clerk to Elder Barsanuphius and was released from all obediences except church singing and reading. Obedience to the scribe and the head of the monastery became fundamental throughout his entire life in the monastery.

He spent almost all his free time from prayer with the elder, helping him carry out correspondence. Elder Barsanuphius, seeing in Nicholas his successor and follower, talked with him for a long time, instructed, taught. By this time, he became the closest disciple and companion of Elder Barsanuphius, who, foreseeing his high destiny, prepared him to be his successor, passing on to him his spiritual and life experience, and guided his spiritual life.

In April 1910, novice Nikolai and his brother were tonsured into the ryassophore. Elder Barsanuphius admonished the young monks with the following words: “To be tonsured into the ryassophore is of great importance for a monk. Whatever direction and mood you give yourself at first when taking tonsure, it will remain that way for the rest of your life.”

The Monk Barsanuphius spoke about salvation: “It is good to be with the Lord!” And on Tabor with Christ the Savior, it’s probably even better. We need to go to Tabor. But always remember that the way for a person to get there is through Golgotha. And there is no other way.” These words are perfectly suited for us, Christians of our time, called, according to the prophetic sayings of the venerable fathers of antiquity, to be saved by patiently enduring the sorrows that come our way.

However, not everyone is able to make the path to Golgotha. And the temptation to come down from the cross is too great. This happened with Nikolai Belyaev’s younger brother, Ivan. Ivanushka, an enthusiastic young man who dreamed of monasticism, could not endure all the difficulties of monastic life. I could not develop humility in myself, cutting off my will. Therefore, in 1910, Ivan left Optina Pustyn. Subsequently, he married a sister of mercy, forgetting about his passion for monasticism and the fact that he himself had once been a monk. Nikolai remained in Optina Pustyn for many years.

The parting words, as well as many other soul-helping sayings of Elder Barsanuphius, were preserved for us in the “Diary”, which was kept by the novice and then monk of the Optina Hermitage Nikolai Belyaev. The records in it have been interrupted since the time his mentor, Father Barsanuphius, left Optina. The elder had to endure unfair persecution. In 1912, he was ordained archimandrite, transferred from his dear Optina and appointed rector of the Holy Trinity Novo-Golutvin Monastery near Moscow.

After the departure of Elder Barsanuphius, Nicholas was transferred from the monastery to the monastery. During his subsequent life in the monastery, he served as an example of unconditional obedience, unfeigned humility, peace, firmness and wisdom. He was serious beyond his years, thoughtful, and at the same time, joyful.

On the twenty-fourth of May 1915, the young monk was tonsured into a mantle and received the name Nikon in honor of the holy martyr Nikon (Comm. September twenty-eighth). On April 10, 1916, the Monk Nikon was ordained a hierodeacon, and on November 3, 1917, he was awarded the rank of hieromonk. The last of the Optina elders remained in this rank until his martyrdom.

After the October coup, Optina was closed and persecution began. “I will die, but I will not leave,” the Monk Nikon wrote in his diary, while still a novice at the monastery. These words expressed the general mood of the Optina brethren. Able-bodied monks created an “agricultural artel” that provided food. The Monk Nikon worked zealously, doing everything possible to preserve the monastery.

It was hard in Optina, but services in churches continued. In 1923, Optina Pustyn, like many other Russian monasteries, was closed. Fifteen brothers were left in the monastery as museum workers and watchmen, and the rest were ordered to get out wherever they looked.

With the blessing of the last archimandrite of Optina Hermitage, Isaac II, Hieromonk Nikon remained to serve at the monastery church in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. “I bless you to serve and accept people for confession,” Father Isaac said to Hieromonk Nikon. And he stayed within the walls of the ruined monastery for about another year, spiritually caring for a small community consisting of sisters of the Shamordino women’s monastery, which was closed by that time.

So the Monk Nikon, for his holy obedience to the abbot, became the last Optina elder. Spiritual children from Kozelsk and numerous pilgrims came here, still coming to the graves of elders from all over Russia: the people's path to Optina did not want to be overgrown.

At the same time, the Monk Nektarios, who was in exile, began to direct his spiritual children to the Monk Nikon. Before this, Father Nikon did not dare to give advice to those who turned to him, and when he began to receive people, when giving advice, he always referred to the words of the Optina elders. In those terrible years, the faithful children of the Church especially needed strengthening and consolation, and St. Nikon was precisely such a spiritual support.

Expelled from the monastery in June 1924 by militant atheists, he served the all-night vigil for the last time, left the monastery and moved to the city of Kozelsk, where he served in the Assumption Cathedral. At the same time, Hieromonk Nikon cared for the surviving Shamordino nuns and pilgrims, received the people, fulfilling his pastoral duty.

He was arrested in June 1927 along with his father Kirill (Zlenko). Father Nikon spent about a year in prison in the city of Kaluga. From here, during one of the meetings, he gave the nun Ambrosia (Oberucheva) who came to visit him, a book that was with him in his imprisonment: the fifth volume of the works of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) “An Offering to Modern Monasticism.” Notes were made in the margins of the book by Hieromonk Nikon. Now they have been published as a separate brochure entitled “Testament to Spiritual Children.”

These tips are real spiritual beads for people seeking spiritual care those who want spiritual growth:

“Everyone needs to prepare for sorrows. Without recognizing oneself as worthy of sorrow for one’s fall, one cannot know the Savior. A sorrowless life is a sign of God’s displeasure towards man. One should not envy those who live without sorrow, for the end of their sorrowlessness is deplorable. Temptations and sorrows reveal the state of the human soul; in modern terms, they are like some kind of exam. Accept what God sends.

“Sorrows are allowed so that it may be revealed who truly loves God. Without enduring sorrows, even a grateful soul is incapable of the Kingdom of God. Firm endurance of sorrows is tantamount to martyrdom. Sorrows mean nothing in comparison with spiritual blessings.”

“Generosity and perseverance in the fight against sin are necessary, even if sin prevails at times. The call to repentance is the call of God. The revival of the soul is accomplished by the will of God and the power of God. But a person is required to have his will in bringing repentance to God. The period of repentance required by the sinner is known to God alone. Repentance is recognized as sincere and valid only when its consequence is the remission of mortal sin.”

“Reading is one of the necessary activities. Without reading or listening to reading, one cannot know the truth. When I talk about reading, I mean exclusively the reading of the Holy Scriptures and the writings of the fathers and churches. There is no limit to spiritual growth, so rereading is of great importance. It is better to reread a small number of books with reverence and attention than to read a lot quickly. But reading will only bring the desired benefit when what you read, to the best of your ability and ability, enters life, becomes the rule of life, and not simple, bare, soulless and cold knowledge. Therefore, you need to read with attention and try to live in the spirit of what you read.”

On January 27, 1928, they wanted to send Hieromonk Nikon and other prisoners to Solovki. However, due to bad weather, the stage was delayed at the transit point in Kemi. Father Nikon was left there as a guard. The Monk Nikon spent three terrible years in the Kemperpunkt camp. At the end of his term, he was sentenced to exile in the Arkhangelsk region.

Before departure, the doctor found that the Monk Nikon had a severe form of pulmonary tuberculosis and advised him to ask for a change in place of exile and transfer to an area with a healthier climate. Accustomed to doing everything for obedience, the Monk Nikon asked for advice from the Optina monk Father Agapit (Taube), who was exiled with him. He advised not to resist God’s will, and Saint Nikon humbled himself. He decided to surrender himself to the will of God, telling the doctor: “Let the will of God be done...” These are the words of a righteous soul, reverently sacrificing himself and his whole life to God!

In June 1930, Hieromonk Nikon and Father Agapit settled in the village of Nizhneye Ladino near Arkhangelsk. However, in August 1930, Nikon’s father was moved to Pinega, to the village of Vospola. This was his last earthly refuge, final stage earthly suffering. He found an apartment in the house of a woman who, in addition to a large payment in money, made it a condition for her tenant to do all the heavy physical work around the house. The health of the Monk Nikon worsened every day, he was malnourished.

The mistress, with an exceptionally grumpy, angry and cruel character, pushed him around as if she were her slave. It seemed as if the demon himself had possessed her, forcing her to torment Father Nikon. The cruel old woman gave him neither peace nor rest. Exhausted from weakness, he unquestioningly performed everything at a constantly elevated temperature and with a sore leg.

One day, due to overwork, the sufferer was unable to get up. In the end, having learned that he was terminally ill with tuberculosis, the hostess kicked the guest out of the house in the winter cold, throwing all his things into the street. Then a fellow sufferer, a former inhabitant of Optina Pustyn, Hierodeacon Peter, transported the dying father Nikon to the Kozlovo area, to the village of Valdokurye, three kilometers from Vospola, to the house of Alexandra Efimovna Pryalkova, where he himself lived.

There the priest was found by his spiritual daughter, nun Irina (Bobkova), who later became schema-nun Seraphim, who came to him. She found Father Nikon already fading away, chained to his sick bed, covered with lice. In this state, he continued to fulfill his prayer rule, read the Holy Scriptures, and wrote letters.

Until his death, the Monk Nikon wrote notes to his spiritual children. Here is the text of the last of them: “What beauty there is in spiritual books...” This last note remained unfinished. Exhausted from illness, the Shepherd in the last days of his short life thought not about himself, but about his children, continued to care about their spiritual life, tried to write down instructions and advice for them:

“Let the prayer rule be small, but fulfilled constantly and carefully.

Let us take as an example a saint suitable for our situation, and we will rely on his example. All the saints suffered because they followed the path of the Savior, Who suffered: was persecuted, mocked, slandered and crucified. And all who follow Him inevitably suffer. “You will be sorrowful in the world.” And everyone who wants to live piously will be persecuted. “When you begin to work for the Lord, prepare your soul for temptation.”

In order to endure suffering more easily, one must have strong faith, ardent love for the Lord, not become attached to anything earthly, and completely surrender to the will of God.

If it is not possible to fulfill the vow of obedience, there is no one to obey, one must be willing to do everything according to the will of God. There are two types of obedience: external and internal. With external obedience, complete obedience is required, the execution of every task without reasoning. Inner obedience refers to the inner, spiritual life and requires the guidance of a spiritual father. But the advice of a spiritual father should be verified by the Holy Scriptures... True obedience, which brings great benefit to the soul, is when, for obedience, you do something that does not agree with your desire, despite yourself. Then the Lord Himself takes you in His arms...

The Jesus Prayer will replace the sign of the cross if for some reason it cannot be applied.

You cannot work on holidays unless absolutely necessary. The holiday should be cherished and honored. This day should be dedicated to God: be in church, pray at home and read the Holy Scriptures and the works of the holy fathers, do good deeds.

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. There is no need to give vent to your feelings.

We must force ourselves to be friendly with those we don’t like.

What is better: to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ rarely or often? — it’s hard to say. Zacchaeus joyfully accepted the dear Guest - the Lord - into his home, and did well. But the centurion, out of humility, realizing his unworthiness, did not dare to accept, and also did well. Their actions, although opposite, have the same motivation. And they appeared before the Lord as equally worthy. The point is to adequately prepare yourself for the great Sacrament.

Persecution and oppression are good for us, for they strengthen our faith.

If you want to get rid of sadness, do not attach your heart to anything or anyone. Sadness comes from attachment to visible things. There has never been, is not and never will be a carefree place on earth. A sad place can only be in the heart when the Lord is in it. The Lord helps us in sorrows and temptations. He does not free us from them, but gives us the strength to easily endure them, not even to notice them.

Silence prepares the soul for prayer. Silence, how beneficial it is to the soul!

The spiritual father, like a pillar, only shows the way, but you have to go yourself. If the spiritual father points, and his disciple himself does not move, then he will not go anywhere, but will rot near this pillar.

Always remember the law of spiritual life: if you are embarrassed by any shortcoming of another person and condemn him, later you will suffer the same fate and you will suffer from the same shortcoming.

Do not apply your hearts to the vanity of this world. Especially during prayer, leave all thoughts about worldly things. After prayer, at home or in church, in order to maintain a prayerful, tender mood, silence is necessary. Sometimes even a simple, insignificant word can disrupt and frighten away tenderness from our soul.

Self-justification closes spiritual eyes, and then a person sees something that is not what really is.

Patience is uninterrupted complacency.

Your salvation and your destruction are in your neighbor. Your salvation depends on how you treat your neighbor. Do not forget to see the image of God in your neighbor.

Do every task, no matter how insignificant it may seem to you, carefully, as if before the face of God. Remember that the Lord sees everything.”

The nun Irina brightened up the last days of the dying Reverend Nikon with her cares. She witnessed a vision that he had four days before his death. Before his death, he saw the Optina elder Macarius, who came to confess him. Not knowing what to think, she went to the other half of the house, from where the priest’s voice seemed to sound for an eternity, and she was afraid to hear the words of this mysterious confession.

On the very day of the blessed death of St. Nikon, June 25/July 8, 1931, he took communion and listened to the canon on the exodus of the soul. The face of the deceased was unusually white, bright, smiling joyfully at something. The Lord, granting His faithful servant a peaceful death, and upon his repose honored him with a burial appropriate to his rank and merits.

He was buried in the monastic order in the cemetery of the village of Valdokurye. Many exiles came to see him off on his final journey. By the providence of God, twelve people gathered for the burial of St. Nikon, just clergymen. Despite the fact that they were all at work (sixty kilometers from Valdokurye), they suddenly got a day off - as if they had been released for his burial.

In the thirties, the grave of Hieromonk Nikon was excavated by hooligans. Therefore, his spiritual children performed a reburial. Only a few knew where his relics were.

The house where Hieromonk Nikon died has survived to this day. This is the only surviving house in the Kozlovo neighborhood. And on July 8, 1989, the first memorial service was performed over the restored grave of St. Nikon. It was served by Hieromonk Theophylact, a resident of the revived Optina Hermitage, who arrived in Pinega.

In 1996, the Monk Nikon (Belyaev) was canonized as a locally revered Saint of Optina Pustyn, and in August 2000, by the Jubilee Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, he was glorified for church-wide veneration.