Sergius of Radonezh is a saint. Cathedral of Radonezh Saints. Book miniatures “The Life of St. Sergius of Radonezh the Wonderworker”

In central and northern Rus', the Monk Sergius of Radonezh (in the world Bartholomew) was born on May 3, 1314 in the village of Varnitsa, near Rostov, in the family of the boyar Cyril and his wife Maria.

At the age of seven, Bartholomew was sent to study with his two brothers - the elder Stefan and the younger Peter. At first he lagged behind in learning to read and write, but then, thanks to patience and work, he became familiar with the Holy Scriptures and became addicted to the church and monastic life.

Around 1330, Sergius's parents left Rostov and settled in the city of Radonezh (about 55 kilometers from Moscow). When the eldest sons got married, Cyril and Maria, shortly before their death, accepted the schema at the Khotkovsky Monastery of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, not far from Radonezh. Subsequently, the widowed elder brother Stefan also accepted monasticism in this monastery.

Having buried his parents, Bartholomew ceded his share of the inheritance to his married brother Peter.

Together with his brother Stefan, he retired to live in the desert in the forest several kilometers from Radonezh. First, the brothers built a cell (a dwelling for a monastic), and then a small church, consecrated in the Name of the Most Holy Trinity. Soon, unable to withstand the difficulties of life in a deserted place, Stefan left his brother and moved to the Moscow Epiphany Monastery, where he became close to the monk Alexy, the future Metropolitan of Moscow, and later became abbot.

In October 1337, Bartholomew took monastic vows in the name of the holy martyr Sergius.

News of Sergius' asceticism spread throughout the area, and followers began to flock to him, wanting to lead a strict monastic life. Gradually a monastery was formed. The foundation of the Trinity Monastery (now the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius) dates back to 1330-1340.

After some time, the monks convinced Sergius to accept the abbess, threatening to disperse if he did not agree. In 1354, after long refusals, Sergius was ordained hieromonk and elevated to the rank of abbot.

With deep humility, Sergius himself served the brethren - he built cells, chopped wood, ground grain, baked bread, sewed clothes and shoes, and carried water.

Gradually, his fame grew, everyone, from peasants to princes, began to turn to the monastery, many settled in the neighborhood and donated their property to it. Initially suffering from the extreme need of everything necessary in the desert, she turned to a rich monastery.

The Trinity Monastery was at first “separate”: subordinate to one abbot and converging to pray in one temple, the monks each had their own cell, their own property, their own clothes and food. Around 1372, ambassadors from the Patriarch of Constantinople Philotheus came to Sergius and brought him a cross, a paraman (a small quadrangular cloth with an image of a cross) and a schema (monastic vestment) as a blessing for new exploits and a patriarchal letter, where the patriarch advised the abbot to build a cenobitic monastery following the Christian example communities of apostolic times. With the patriarchal message, the Monk Sergius went to Metropolitan Alexy of Moscow and received from him advice to introduce strict communal life in the monastery.

Soon the monks began to grumble about the severity of the rules, and Sergius left the monastery. On the Kirzhach River he founded a monastery in honor of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Order in the former monastery began to quickly decline, and the remaining monks turned to Metropolitan Alexy so that he would return the saint. Then Sergius obeyed, leaving his student Roman as abbot of the Kirzhach monastery.

Hegumen Sergius was called by Metropolitan Alexy in his declining years with a request to accept the Russian Metropolis, but out of humility he refused the primacy.

Sergius of Radonezh also acted as a wise politician, striving to pacify discord and unite the Russian lands. In 1366, he resolved a princely family dispute over Nizhny Novgorod, and in 1387 he went as ambassador to Prince Oleg of Ryazan, achieving his reconciliation with Moscow.

His deeds and prayers before the Battle of Kulikovo (1380) are covered with special glory. Grand Duke Dimitri Donskoy asked Sergius of Radonezh for his blessing for the upcoming battle. During the battle, the monk stood with his brethren in prayer and asked God to grant victory to the Russian army.

Having reached a ripe old age, Sergius of Radonezh, having foreseen his death within six months, called the brethren to him and blessed the disciple Nikon, experienced in spiritual life, to become abbess.

Sergius of Radonezh asked the brethren to bury him outside the church, in the general monastery cemetery, but with the permission of the Metropolitan, his body was laid in the church with right side. 30 years later, on July 5, 1422, the discovery of the saint’s relics took place in the presence of his godson, Prince Yuri of Galitsky. At the same time, a local celebration of the memory of the saint was established in the monastery. In 1452, Sergius of Radonezh was canonized.

The first was built in 1463 famous church in the name of St. Sergius of Radonezh at the lord's court in Novgorod.

In addition to the Holy Trinity Lavra of Sergius, the Monk Sergius of Radonezh founded the Holy Annunciation Kirzhach Monastery, the Rostov Boris and Gleb Monastery, the Vysotsky Monastery, the Epiphany Staro-Golutvin Monastery and others, and his disciples established up to 40 monasteries.

Russian Orthodox Church commemorates his memory on the day of his death, as well as on July 18 (5th old style), the day of the discovery of his relics.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

Memory St. Sergius, Wonderworker of Radonezh, The Church honors October 8 (September 25, old style), the day of his repose. Reverend Sergius of Radonezh is rightfully one of the most revered monks from the times of Ancient Rus' to the present day. He is the founder of several monasteries, among which the Trinity-Sergius Lavra became the most famous. It is no coincidence that Sergius of Radonezh often call " abbot of the Russian land».

Feats St. Sergius fell on a difficult era when Rus' was under the yoke of the foreign Mongol- Tatar yoke, but strived to gain independence and build a strong and single state. Sergius of Radonezh, a man of desert life, who never took up arms, became a spiritual support in the resistance to the Mongol-Tatar yoke, inspired princes and warriors to fight for the independence of Rus'. He blessed the Moscow prince Dimitry Donskoy on Battle of Kulikovo, which took place in 1380. Also, the Radonezh abbot sent two monks to help the prince, once former warriors- Peresvet and Oslyabyu. Thus, it became a symbol of the unity of the Church and the people at a time of difficult trial. The victory of rising Moscow over Mamai on the Kulikovo Field significantly strengthened the young principality.

Monasteries founded by Sergius of Radonezh

Besides Trinity Monastery, Sergius founded several more monasteries, which later became monasteries: Blagoveshchensky on Kirzhach (1358), Epiphany Staro-Golutvin (1385) near Kolomna, Vysotsky Monastery (1374), St. George's on Klyazma. Hegumen of Radonezh sent his disciples to these monasteries and monasteries, who became abbots there. In total, the disciples of Sergius of Radonezh created about forty monasteries.

The most famous were such famous ones as Savvo-Storozhevsky (1398) near Zvenigorod, Bogoroditse-Rozhdestvensky Ferapontov (1398), Kirillo-Belozersky (1397), Pavlo-Obnorsky (1414) and many others.

Miracles of Sergius of Radonezh

As stated in the Life, Sergius of Radonezh performed many miracles. People came to him from different villages, hamlets and cities to receive spiritual council, and sometimes even just to see him. As the hagiographers of Sergius write, he often healed the suffering, and once he resurrected a boy who died in his father’s arms when he was carrying the child to the abbot. The fame of Sergius' miracles quickly spread throughout Rus'. Sick people from different areas began to come to him. And none of them left without good advice and healing. But human glory weighed heavily on the ascetic. One day a bishop Stefan Permsky(about 1330-1340 - 1396) was heading from his diocese to Moscow. The road ran not far from the Sergius Monastery. The bishop decided to visit the monastery on the way back and stopped, read a prayer, bowed to Abbot Sergius with the words “Peace be with you, spiritual brother.” At this time, Sergius was at a meal with the brethren. In response to Bishop Stephen, Sergius sent a blessing. Some of the disciples were very surprised by the abbot’s act and hurried to the indicated place, where they saw Bishop Stefan.

Once, during the liturgy, an Angel of the Lord concelebrated with St. Sergius, but in his humility, the abbot forbade anyone to tell about this until the end of his earthly life. For his pious life, Sergius was awarded heavenly vision from the Lord. Once he prayed in front of the icon of the Mother of God and, having finished the prayer, sat down to rest. And suddenly he told his disciple Micah that a miraculous visit awaited them. A moment later, the Most Holy Theotokos appeared, accompanied by the holy apostles Peter and John the Theologian. From the unusually bright light, the abbot fell to the ground, but the Mother of God touched him with her hands and, blessing him, promised to always patronize his monastery.

Repose of Abbot Sergius

At the end of his righteous life, Sergius, having perspicaciously learned about his impending death for six months, called the brethren to him and, after a brief council of the elders, ordered to choose as rector a student experienced in spiritual life and obedience Nikon(1352-1426). Just before his death, the abbot of the Russian land called the brethren to his deathbed and addressed the words of his will:

Take heed, brothers. First have the fear of God, spiritual purity and unfeigned love...

On September 25 (Ol. Art.), 1392, the Monk Sergius reposed. Church historian E.E. Golubinsky wrote that Sergius ordered his body to be laid not in the church, but in the general monastery cemetery. This command greatly upset the brethren. The monks turned for advice to Metropolitan Cyprian, who said to lay the body of Abbot Sergius in the church.

Veneration of Sergius, Abbot of Radonezh

July 5 (O.S.) 1422 were found incorrupt relics of Sergius. This is how Pachomius Logofet wrote about this event: “To when the Holy Council opened the miraculous tomb... everyone saw a wonderful and touching sight: not only the saint’s honest body was preserved whole and bright, but also the clothes in which he was buried turned out to be intact, completely untouched by corruption... Seeing this, everyone glorified God, after all, the body of the saint, which had been in the tomb for so many years, remained unharmed" Since then, the date of the discovery of the relics, July 18 (NS) has been one of the days of remembrance of the saint.

There is no documentary evidence of when the veneration of Sergius began. Already in 1427, five years after the discovery of the relics of St. Sergius, a church was founded in his homeland in Varnitsy. Trinity-Sergius Varnitsky Monastery.

As pointed out by a specialist in the field of hagiology, historian E.E. Golubinsky, the veneration of Sergius of Radonezh obviously has early origins. However, he indicates that official canonization was possible thanks to the persistent actions of the Moscow Metropolitan Jonah. The relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh were placed in main cathedral laurels - Trinity.

The most popular source of information about Sergius of Radonezh, the famous monument ancient Russian literature is the famous “Life” of Sergius, written in 1417–1418 by his student Epiphanius the Wise. Decades later, it was revised by Pachomius Logothetes and supplemented with new facts, including the story of the discovery of the relics.

Troparion and Kontakion to St. Sergius of Radonezh

Troparion, tone 4.

He who is an ascetic of virtue, as if he were truly a warrior of Christ God, labored on great passions, towards the temporal life, in singing, vigils and fasting, being the image of his disciple. This is how the Most Holy Spirit dwells in you, and is brightly adorned by its action. But as having the boldness to Holy Trinity Remember the flock wisely, and do not forget what you promised when visiting your children, O Reverend Father Sergius.

Kontakion, tone 8.

Having been wounded by the love of Christ, the venerable one, and following that irrevocable desire, you hated all carnal pleasure, and like the sun you shone for your Fatherland. With this Christ enriched you with the gift of miracles. Remember us who honor your blessed memory, and we call you, rejoicing to Sergius, God-wise.

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Venerable Sergius of Radonezh. Icons

The oldest image of St. Sergius is an embroidered cover (1420s). Currently located in the Sacristy of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

The oldest hagiographic icon with 19 hallmarks is known, the authorship of which is attributed to the circle master Dionysius; the icon dates back to around 1480 or 1492. Early images of Sergius full height come from the Assumption Cathedral (the turn of the 15th-16th centuries) and probably from the gateway St. Sergius Church of the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius (the beginning of the 16th century).

Also associated with the monk is the image “ Monastery of St. Sergius of Radonezh", a 19th-century copy of a non-preserved ancient icon of the 17th century, which was once located in the northeastern aisle of the Refectory of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. This icon is famous for the fact that it depicts a detailed plan of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra; it is currently located in Pokrovsky Cathedral Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow.

The image of Sergius of Radonezh in painting

In addition to the icons of St. Sergius of Radonezh, there are also paintings that depict events from the life of the Radonezh abbot. Among Soviet artists we can highlight M.V. Nesterova. The following of his works are known: “The Works of Sergius of Radonezh”, “The Youth of Sergius”, “Vision to the Youth Bartholomew”. Also among the artists who turned to the image of Sergius of Radonezh were V.M. Vasnetsov(image of St. Sergius for the temple in Abramtsevo), E.E. Lisser(“Sergius of Radonezh blessing Dmitry Donskoy before the Battle of Kulikovo”), N.K. Roerich(“St. Sergius of Radonezh”) and others.

Sculptural images of St. Sergius of Radonezh

Sculpture is one of the forms of veneration of saints in Rus'. There are many sculptural images of Sergius of Radonezh. One of them is a high relief depicting Demetrius Donskoy’s visit to Sergius of Radonezh before the massacre on the Kulikovo Field, executed by the sculptor A.V. Loganovsky. This high relief decorated the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, was dismantled before the explosion of the temple and has survived to this day. A bronze copy of this high relief is installed on the restored temple.

There is a known sculptural image of St. Sergius of Radonezh as part of a multi-figure composition on the monument “1000th Anniversary of Russia” in Veliky Novgorod.

At the end of the 20th and 21st centuries, monuments to St. Sergius were erected in places associated with his life: one (sculptor V. Chukharkin, architect V. Zhuravlev) is located in Sergiev Posad “near the walls of the holy monastery he founded,” the other (sculptor V. M. Klykov and architect R.I. Semerdzhiev) - in the village of Radonezh.

In addition to these monuments, sculptures of the saint were installed in Moscow, Kolomna, Rostov-on-Don, Elista, Samara, many other cities and villages of Russia, as well as in Belarus.

Temples in Rus' in the name of St. Sergius of Radonezh

Venerable Sergius Radonezh has always been especially revered by the Russian people. Among the churches dedicated to him are the Sergius Church (1686–1692) in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra; Cathedral of Sergius in the Trinity-Sergius Varnitsky Monastery; the Cathedral of St. Sergius in the Vysokopetrovsky Monastery in Moscow (1690-1694); Church of Sergius of Radonezh in the Kirilo-Belozersky Monastery (1560-1594). Temples are dedicated to the monk in Nizhny Novgorod, Orel, Ufa, Tula and other cities.

In the Tver province, more than 70 altars were consecrated in churches in the name of St. Sergius, but most of them were destroyed during the years of Soviet persecution.

Old Believer churches in the name of St. Sergius of Radonezh

Before the revolution in the Tver province there were two Old Believers Church in the name of St. Sergius of Radonezh: a temple in the village of Dmitrovo, Pogorelsky district, Kalinin region (now Zubtsovsky district, Tver region) and a temple in the village of Matyukovo (Torzhoksky district, Tver region). Both temples were destroyed during the atheistic years. In the Old Believers, there are currently several churches in the name of St. Sergius of Radonezh the Wonderworker. In the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church, today is a temple holiday in the Smolensk region and in the Kirov region. In the name of the saint, the border of the cathedral on Rogozhsky was also consecrated. In the Russian Ancient Orthodox Church, churches in the Kursk region and Orenburg region. Also, a Edinoverie church in the Leningrad region was consecrated in honor of the saint.

In the name of St. Sergius, the lower church of the famous Old Believer Assumption Church on Apukhtinka was also consecrated (now there is a dormitory in the temple building).

The fate of the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh and his monastery in the Soviet years

After the death of St. Sergius, the abbots of the Trinity Monastery in different time there were famous Russian ascetics. Of these, the most famous are Saints Nikon and Dionysius of Radonezh, Sava of Zvenigorod, Martinian of Belozersky. During the Time of Troubles, Abbot Dionysius, a native of the city of Rzhev, saved the monastery of Sergius from desecration.

In 1919, the relics of St. Sergius were opened, and then transferred as an exhibit to the Sergius Historical and Art Museum, located in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. The relics of the monastery walls were abandoned before the threat of fascist occupation. In 1946, after the Great Patriotic War and the opening of the Lavra, the relics were returned. Currently, the relics of St. Sergius are in the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

Anti-church terror during the Soviet period also affected the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. In 1920, by decree of the Council of People's Commissars, by personal order of V.I. Lenin, Trinity-Sergius Lavra was closed and transformed into a historical and art museum. The Lavra buildings housed a pedagogical institute, residential premises and other institutions.

After the end of the Great Patriotic War, the revival of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra began. Today the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius has the status of stauropegial monastery. The Lavra has a unique library of handwritten and early printed books.

In any Orthodox church you will always find an icon with the image of the Venerable Elder Sergius of Radonezh. His large, famous icon conveys to us his serious and thoughtful look. Sergius of Radonezh was truly a great miracle worker of the Russian land, to whom we and our descendants should be grateful until the end of time. However, not many people know about his merits and exploits.

In 2014, May 3 (16) all Christian Orthodox world celebrated the 700th anniversary of the birth of the visionary elder, who already during his lifetime became famous for his holiness. Throughout Rus' he was revered by various rulers, boyars, princes and simple peasant people.

Icon of Sergius of Radonezh. Photo

Everyone knows that icons of holy worshipers help people solve their problems. Therefore, I definitely want to know how the icon of Sergius of Radonezh helps. First of all, you need to know that only through sincere prayer and faith to this holy man and to God can people receive protection from any unpleasant life circumstances. Parents ask him for help in raising their children, protecting them from bad influences, giving them humility and taming their young pride, since this is the greatest evil, which later causes a lot of trouble. With all this, people turn to him with different requests.

The icon of Sergius of Radonezh is not noticeable in any way. Her photo, however, makes us think about whether we are doing everything right, whether we are ready to sacrifice our lives for our Fatherland, as our heroic ancestors did at the prompting of the great seer.

Icon "Sergius of Radonezh". Meaning in Orthodoxy

God gave him signs of grace, he could heal the sick. He once even resurrected his dying son through his father's desperate prayers. The Monk Sergius was able to see and hear at a distance. But the most remarkable and miraculous was the appearance of the Mother of God with the Apostle Peter to the elder during the Nativity Fast in 1384.

The Monk Sergius of Radonezh reposed peacefully on September 25 (October 8), 1392. Exactly 30 years later, his relics were discovered, and today they are kept in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra near Moscow.

This holy elder is always asked for intercession in the fate of Orthodox Rus'. The icon "Sergius of Radonezh" has become a real talisman for Russia against its enemies.

Childhood

Our God-bearing father Sergius was born in Rostov to pious parents Cyril and Mary, who were later also canonized. The Lord himself chose the future saint to serve. His mother, being pregnant, stood at the service, and at this time the cry of the baby was heard three times in the womb. The people standing around also heard this, and then the priest realized that soon a faithful servant of the Holy Trinity would appear in this world. The baby, who would later be named Bartholomew, jumped joyfully before the Lord and His Church as John the Baptist jumped joyfully in the womb of his mother before the Most Holy Theotokos.

The born baby Bartholomew no longer took his mother’s breast on Wednesdays and Fridays. This was the beginning of his great abstinence and fasting.

Boyhood

As a teenager he was sent to school, but his poor memory prevented him from studying well. In this he was helped by an elder monk, or, to be more precise, by an angel sent by God, whom he met while walking through an oak grove. The elder promised that from now on the boy would study well himself, and then he would teach others. So the very young Bartholomew accepted the blessing, and from now on he had no problems with his studies. But instead of ordinary children's games, he devoted all his free time reading Holy Scripture.

The icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh is very necessary for parents, as it can help them in raising their children. And it is simply necessary for students who have difficulty studying, who have poor memory and attention. In general, the icon “Sergius of Radonezh” should be in every Orthodox home and in every believing family.

Radonezh

Then Bartholomew's parents moved from Rostov to Radonezh. There they rested in peace. After this, in 1337, the future saint distributed his inheritance to poor people and settled on Makovets Hill with his brother Stefan, a Khotkovsky monk of the Intercession Monastery. They built a hut on this site. So Bartholomew labored as a monk away from people, and began to pray unceasingly. Soon his brother left this wild, deserted abode, unable to withstand the harsh life.

After some time, Hieromonk Mitrofan came to him and blessed young Bartholomew to become a monk. He was then 23 years old, and they named him Sergius. Having learned about such a pious monk, other monks began to come and settle in his monastery. He received everyone kindly. Together with the brethren, they first built a small chapel, which Bishop Theognostos consecrated in the name of the Holy Trinity. Then, with the grace of Christ, the monastery was built. One day Archimandrite Simon came to them from Smolensk, he brought precious gifts and gave them into the hands of Father Sergius. These funds were used to build a large church and expand the monastery.

To this day, this church stands, renovated, in the Trinity-Sergius Monastery near Moscow, where both the holy relics and the icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh are located. This monastery is always crowded with pilgrims from all over Russia, who go there to honor the memory of the holy elder and ask him for protection and patronage.

Trinity Monastery. 1355

Over time, with the blessing of the Patriarch of Constantinople Philotheus, a communal charter was introduced in the monastery of St. Sergius of Radonezh in 1355. The territory of the monastery was divided into three parts - public, residential and defensive. In the center of the monastery stood the new wooden Church of the Holy Trinity. The abbot of the monastery first became the previously mentioned abbot Mitrofan, and after his death - the Monk Sergius of Radonezh.

Soon the Trinity Monastery, supported by the great princes, began to be considered the center of the Moscow lands. It was here that the Monk Sergius of Radonezh blessed the army of Dmitry Donskoy for victory in battle with the horde of Mamai.

The Battle of Kulikovo took place on the birthday of the Mother of God, September 8 (September 21, new style), 1380. The date was not chosen by chance, because the Mother of God herself was the patron of Rus'. The monks of the Trinity Monastery Peresvet and Oslyabya, who had received the blessing of St. Sergius, entered the battlefield; they were once glorious warriors in Dmitry’s squad. This was the sacred duty of every Orthodox Christian. The victory was won, many brothers died in those days. After the battle, Dmitry Donskoy came to the Trinity Monastery to personally notify Father Sergius of the victory.

There is such an extraordinary miraculous icon St. Sergius of Radonezh, where he blesses Prince Dmitry Donskoy for the Battle of Kulikovo. This icon can heal diseases and protect real warriors from injury and death.

Battle of Kulikovo. 1380

Let us dwell on the Battle of Kulikovo in more detail, because it was a great battle of Russian troops led by the Moscow Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy and the military leader of the Golden Horde, Khan Mamai.

Western, as they say today, occult curators and psychologists persuaded Mamai to go to Moscow and said that this war would strengthen the power and influence of the Golden Horde, and that Mamai as a commander could easily compete with Tamerlane himself. The West helped its mentor with weapons, money and specialists in taking fortresses. A military contingent with Genoese infantry was even presented. All that was required from Mamai was to destroy Muscovy as soon as possible, destroy and burn to the ground cities and villages, and make slaves the entire Slavic population. And after this victory, it will be possible to attack the Novgorod land with all our might in order to destroy and plunder it, especially since the troops of the Lithuanian Catholic Jagiello and the Livonian knights are always ready to come to the rescue. In the spring of 1380, the Khan's steppe army of thousands moved from the Volga to the Don.

The Decisive Role of St. Sergius

Most historians agree that at that time the Venerable Sergius of Radonezh played a very important and major role in the unification of Rus' before the advancing formidable enemy. At that difficult moment, many Russian principalities, which had previously waged endless internecine wars, united into a single fist. Saint Sergius managed to do the literally impossible - to reconcile two religions that were warring at that time. He showed the Vedic Russians that the true teaching of Jesus Christ has nothing in common with Western Christianity, that Christ never taught to organize Crusades, burn Vedic temples and heretics at the stake. He showed Russian Christians that true Christianity is as deep a teaching as their ancient faith, therefore there is no reason for religious hostility, since now perverted Christianity is coming from the West, where the most terrible and vile crimes are being committed under the name of Christ.

It is these unrest for Orthodox Rus' that the icon “Sergius of Radonezh” hides. Still, it was not for nothing that he was called “The Sorrower of the Russian Land,” since he never ceased to care for it and with his incessant prayers contributed to its spiritual uplift and liberation from the Tatar yoke.

Siege of the Trinity Lavra

So, the victory on the Kulikovo Field became a turning point in the struggle for the liberation of Rus' from the Mongol-Tatar yoke. However, the final liberation from it occurred much later - in 1480. The raids of nomads continued for a long time; in 1408, the Trinity Monastery was completely burned. But it literally rose again from the ashes, and people rebuilt it. In 1422, the Monk Sergius of Radonezh was also reburied.

The road from Moscow to Rostov, and then to Arkhangelsk, passed through the monastery. The heirs to the throne, Vasily III and Ivan the Terrible, were baptized in the Trinity Monastery. Over time, the monastery turned into a serious defensive fortress. It was surrounded by strong stone walls, which connected 12 towers. Ivan the Terrible personally supervised this construction.

Soon all this came in handy when defending the monastery from the numerous troops of False Dmitry II.

Resistance to interventionists. 1608-1609

In 1608-1609, the Sergiev Posad land repulsed the invaders. For 16 months there were terrible battles. The Poles wanted to rob the monastery and kill the defenders, who during the times of great unrest remained faithful to their Fatherland. Then the governors were the okolnichy prince G.B. Roshcha-Dolgoruky and the nobleman Alexei Golokhvastov. These defenders were strong in spirit, and their monastery was full of faith and was under the protection of the great wonderworker Sergius. At his coffin everyone kissed the cross and swore that they would never surrender their monastery to the enemy. After heavy attacks and scurvy that began due to poor nutrition, which claimed hundreds of lives over many months, only about 300 warriors remained in the monastery, although initially there were 2,400 people. These insignificant forces of the monastery were opposed by 15 to 30 thousand of the best armed forces of the Polish governors Sapieha and Lisovsky, who also had 60 guns.

On the night of one of the most decisive battles, when thousands of Polish troops rushed to the fortress, the impossible happened. Their troops, due to some fatal mistake, heavy fog, or ridiculous orders from their superiors, shot themselves, mistaking allied troops for enemies. And the besieged also very courageously met the enemy with fire. The next morning, joy knew no bounds, as the enemy siege weapons were abandoned and the enemy fled. With the name of God, the support of the Mother of God and the Holy Father Sergius, the heroic Russian soldiers held out. They were confident that victory would be theirs.

There was a lot of evidence of how Saint Sergius of Radonezh helped and advised his soldiers. He even appeared in a subtle dream to one monk and suggested that an enemy mine was underway under the monastery, and then two peasants blew themselves up and this mine, thereby accomplishing a great feat in the name of God and the Fatherland.

I really want to hope that the icon of Sergius of Radonezh, the prayer to this saint and his veneration, even today, will not leave Russia without his support.

Minin and Pozharsky. 1610

You cannot ignore the history associated with Minin and Pozharsky. After all, it is known from history that the comrade-in-arms of the governor Prince Pozharsky in the pious cause of expelling the Catholic interventionists was the landowner and butcher by trade Kozma Minin. He was distinguished by chastity and other virtues, loving silence, he always had God in his heart. One day, the Wonderworker Sergius of Radonezh appeared to him in a dream and ordered him to collect money and soldiers and go to Moscow, where the Polish king, who was preparing Rus' to accept the union, wanted to take the Russian throne.

At first Minin did not attach any significance to his dream. The landowner thought: “Well, who am I to do such things? important matters, and who will listen to me? But then the dream repeated itself twice more, and Minin, eventually repenting of his disobedience, decided on a God-pleasing deed. Minin and Pozharsky began to gather people throughout Rus'.

On March 19, 1611, a spontaneous uprising against the interventionists began in Moscow; the Poles were unable to resist it and locked themselves in Kitay-Gorod and the Kremlin and burned Moscow. The situation was very difficult. The Poles have settled in the capital, in the north-west the Swedes are seizing Russian lands, in the southern outskirts hordes of Crimean Tatars are rampaging...

However, on August 22-24, the interventionists had less than half of their troops left. The Poles suffered heavy losses. The hope of owning the Moscow state was irrevocably destroyed. This means that Saint Sergius of Radonezh, whose icon and cross was always of help to them, heard the prayers of the defenders of Rus'.

Analyzing all these events, you begin to understand that it is not in vain and not by chance that at the most difficult moment for the Russian land, every time people encounter the image of St. Sergius.

I would certainly like to note that in Orthodox Christianity, military service is a God-pleasing activity. The Church always teaches us patriotism and love for the Motherland. This is the meaning that is embedded in the description of the icon of Sergius of Radonezh.

Conclusion

The life of the youth Bartholomew has become an example for modern children and youth, which convinces us that unpleasant external circumstances or such objective ones as ill health, inability to learn, can either destroy life or provide the basis for the formation strong personality and her special character traits, which is what happened to our venerable father Sergius of Radonezh.

Icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh always hears our prayers for our families, children, parents, and therefore for the future of the Fatherland.

Reverend Sergius was born in the village of Varnitsa, near Rostov, on May 3, 1314 into a pious and noble boyar family.

The Lord chose him from his mother's womb. The life of St. Sergius tells that during the Divine Liturgy, even before the birth of her son, his mother and the worshipers heard the baby exclamation three times: before the reading of the Holy Gospel, during the Cherubic Song, and when the priest said: “Holy to Holies.”

God gave the Monk Cyril and Mary a son, who was named Bartholomew. From the first days of his life, the baby surprised everyone with fasting: on Wednesdays and Fridays he did not accept mother’s milk, on other days, if his mother ate meat, the baby also refused mother’s milk. Noticing this, Maria completely refused to eat meat.

At the age of seven, Bartholomew was sent to study with his two brothers, the elder Stefan and the younger Peter. His brothers studied successfully, but Bartholomew lagged behind in his studies. Then Bartholomew with tears prayed to the Lord to grant him book understanding. One day his father sent Bartholomew to look for the missing horses. On the way, he met an Angel sent by God in a monastic form: an old man stood under an oak tree in the middle of a field and prayed. Bartholomew approached him and, bowing, began to wait for the end of the elder’s prayer. He blessed the boy, kissed him and asked what he wanted. Bartholomew replied that he wanted to learn to read and write and asked God to pray for him. The monk fulfilled Bartholomew's request, raised his prayer to God and, blessing the youth, told him that God would give him the ability to read and write. At the same time, the elder took out a vessel and gave Bartholomew a piece of prosphora as a sign of God’s grace and for the understanding of Holy Scripture. The elder wanted to leave, but Bartholomew asked him to visit his parents’ house. The parents greeted the guest with honor and offered refreshments. The elder replied that first one should taste spiritual food, and ordered their son to read the Psalter. Bartholomew began to read harmoniously, and the parents were surprised at the change that had taken place in their son. When saying goodbye, the elder prophetically predicted about St. Sergius: “Your son will be great before God and people. It will become the chosen abode of the Holy Spirit.” From then on, the holy youth easily read and understood the contents of books; with special zeal, he began to delve deeper into prayer, not missing a single service. Already as a child, he imposed a strict fast on himself, did not eat anything on Wednesdays and Fridays, and on other days he ate only bread and water. Around 1328, the parents of St. Sergius moved from Rostov to Radonezh. When their eldest sons got married, the Monks Cyril and Maria, shortly before their death, took the schema at the Khotkovo Monastery of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, not far from Radonezh. Subsequently, the widowed elder brother Stefan also accepted monasticism in this monastery. Having buried his parents, Bartholomew, together with his brother Stefan, retired to live in the wilderness in the forest near Radonezh. First they built a cell, and then a small church, and, with the blessing of Metropolitan Theognostus, it was consecrated in the Name of the Holy Trinity. But soon, unable to withstand the difficulties of life in a deserted place, Stefan left his brother and moved to the Moscow Epiphany Monastery (where he became close to the monk Alexy, later Metropolitan of Moscow).

Bartholomew, on October 7, 1337, took monastic vows from Abbot Mitrofan with the name of the holy martyr Sergius and laid the foundation for a new residence in glory Life-Giving Trinity. Enduring temptations and demonic fears, the monk rose from strength to strength. The exploits of St. Sergius could not be hidden, and the fragrance of his holy life spread far away. People began to flock to him and gather under his roof, eager to bear the yoke of Christ. The Monk Sergius received everyone with love, and soon a brotherhood of twelve monks was formed in the small monastery. Their experienced spiritual mentor was distinguished by his rare diligence. With his own hands he built cells, carried water, chopped wood, baked bread, sewed clothes, prepared food for the brethren, and humbly performed other work. Hard labour St. Sergius combined it with prayer, vigil and fasting. The brethren were surprised that with such a severe feat, the health of their mentor not only did not deteriorate, but became even stronger. Not without difficulty, the monks begged St. Sergius to accept the abbess of the monastery.

In 1354, Bishop Athanasius of Volyn ordained the monk a hieromonk and elevated him to the rank of abbot.

Monastic obediences were still strictly observed in the monastery. As the monastery grew, so did its needs. Often the monks ate meager food, but through the prayers of St. Sergius, unknown people brought everything they needed.

The glory of the exploits of the Monk Sergius became known in Constantinople, and Patriarch Philotheus sent the monk a cross, a paraman and a schema as a blessing for new exploits, a Blessed Letter, and advised the chosen one of God to establish a cenobitic monastery. With the patriarchal message, the monk went to Saint Alexy and received from him advice to introduce a strict community system. The monks began to grumble about the severity of the rules, and the monk was forced to leave the monastery.

On the Kirzhach River he founded a monastery in honor of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Order in the former monastery began to quickly decline, and the remaining monks turned to Saint Alexis so that he would return the saint.

The Monk Sergius unquestioningly obeyed the saint, leaving his disciple, the Monk Roman, as abbot of the Kirzhach Monastery.

During his lifetime, Saint Sergius was awarded the grace-filled gift of miracles. He resurrected the boy when the desperate father considered his only son forever lost. The fame of the miracles performed by St. Sergius began to quickly spread, and sick people began to be brought to him both from surrounding villages and from distant places. And no one left the monk without receiving healing of ailments and edifying advice.

One day, Saint Stephen, Bishop of Perm, who deeply revered the saint, was heading from his diocese to Moscow. The road ran eight miles from the Sergius Monastery. Intending to visit the monastery on the way back, the saint stopped and, having read a prayer, bowed to St. Sergius with the words: “Peace be with you, spiritual brother.” At this time, the Monk Sergius was sitting with the brethren at a meal. In response to the saint’s blessing, the Monk Sergius stood up, read a prayer and sent a return blessing to the saint. Some of the disciples, surprised by the saint’s extraordinary act, hurried to the indicated place and, having caught up with the saint, became convinced of the truth of the vision.

Gradually the monks began to witness other similar phenomena. Once during the Liturgy the Angel of the Lord concelebrated with the saint, but out of his humility the Monk Sergius forbade anyone to tell about this for the rest of his life.

Close ties of spiritual friendship and brotherly love connected St. Sergius with St. Alexis. The saint, in his declining years, called the saint to him and asked to accept the Russian metropolitanate, but Blessed Sergius, out of humility, refused the primacy.

The Russian land at that time suffered from the Tatar yoke. Grand Duke Dimitri Ioannovich Donskoy, having gathered an army, came to the monastery of St. Sergius to ask for a blessing for the upcoming battle. To help the Grand Duke, the monk blessed two monks of his monastery: schema-monk Andrei (Oslyabya) and schema-monk Alexander (Peresvet) and predicted victory for Prince Demetrius. The prophecy of St. Sergius was fulfilled: on September 8, 1380, on the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Russian soldiers won a complete victory over the Tatar hordes on the Kulikovo field, marking the beginning of the liberation of the Russian land from the Tatar yoke. During the battle, St. Sergius stood with his brethren in prayer and asked God to grant victory to the Russian army, and also remembered all those who fell on the battlefield, seeing with spiritual eyes the battle that was taking place.

For his angelic life, the Monk Sergius was awarded heavenly vision from God. One night, Abba Sergius read the rule in front of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. Having finished reading the canon of the Mother of God, he sat down to rest, but suddenly told his disciple, the Monk Micah, that a miraculous visit awaited them. Soon the Mother of God appeared, accompanied by the holy apostles Peter and John the Theologian. The Monk Sergius fell on his face before the Most Holy Theotokos. She touched him with her hands and, blessing him, promised to always patronize his holy monastery.

The monk reposed before God on September 25, 1392. The day before, the great saint of God last time called on the brethren and addressed them with the words of his testament: “Take heed to yourself, brethren. First have the fear of God, spiritual purity and unfeigned love.”

On July 5, 1422, the Monk Nikon carried out the incorrupt relics of the Monk Sergius and placed them in the stone Trinity Cathedral of the monastery, specially erected for this purpose. To this day, the holy relics of St. Sergius are the most precious treasure of the monastery, a source of grace-filled healings for mental and physical infirmities of all who prayerfully resort to his intercession.

Special prayers are offered to the monk for the abolition of pride and conceit, for the gift of children with the ability to learn science.

The greatest Russian ascetic is believed to have been born in 1322, in the Rostov land, in the family of the Rostov boyar Kirill and his wife Maria. If you believe the story of the Life, even before birth, he was marked with special grace. Once, when his mother, who was carrying a baby in her womb, came to church on Sunday and stood at the church service, he shouted three times from his mother’s womb, so that everyone who was in the church at that time was amazed and said: “What will this be?” child? May the will of the Lord be with him."

At baptism, which followed, according to custom, on the 40th day after birth, he was given a name Bartholomew(the memory of the Apostle Bartholomew is celebrated by the Church on June 11). Soon after baptism began to notice something unusual and unprecedented: on Wednesdays and Fridays - on fast days- the baby did not touch the mother’s breast at all and did not take mouth cow's milk, and on other days I ate as usual children. And then they realized that a certain sign had appeared on him and that the grace of God rested on him.

When the boy was seven years old, his parents sent him to learn to read and write. Bartholomew had brothers: eldest Stephen and junior Peter. It was easy for the brothers to read and write, Bartholomew But he could not get used to writing and studied slowly and with great difficulty. For this reason, his parents often scolded him, his teachers punished him more severely, and his comrades reproached him. The boy often prayed to God in secret from everyone, asking him to teach and enlighten him. It was so, writes the author Lives, according to view God's- so that this youth receives book teaching not from people, but from God.

And indeed, everything happened miraculously. One day my father sent Bartholomew for their horses, which had disappeared somewhere. When the youth was already returning home, he met a certain monk, a holy elder: he stood under an oak tree and prayed diligently. The youth humbly bowed to him and began to wait for him to finish his prayer. And then the elder called the boy to him and asked him: “What are you looking for or what do you want, child?” The boy answered: “Most of all I would like to learn to read and write. Saint Father, pray to God for me!” Elder He prayed and then gave the youth a piece of holy prosphora: “Take and eat this. Through this you are given a sign of God’s grace. Don’t grieve about literacy: from this day on, the Lord will grant you the knowledge of literacy.” And so it happened: from that day the boy learned to read and understand the holy books well. Elder the same one Bartholomew invited him to his house, and said goodbye to his parents: “I tell you, this youth will be great, before God and before people, for the sake of his virtuous life, and he will become the abode of the Holy Trinity, and will lead many people with him to God.” The parents were perplexed about his words and decided this: behold, an angel was sent to give their son the knowledge of literacy.

As a youth, the saint was forced to leave the Rostov land with his family.. As mentioned above, his father was a very noble man: “one of the glorious and famous boyars"; he owned great wealth, but at the end of his life he went bankrupt. Epiphanius the Wise explains why this happened: “due to frequent walks with the prince in Ordu, due to frequent Tatar raids on Rus, because of the frequent Tatar embassies, because of the many heavy tributes and fees of the Horde, because of the frequent shortage of bread.” But most of all, the fate of Kirill and his family (and many other Rostov families) was affected by the transition of the Rostov principality to power Moscow. Envoys of the Moscow Grand Duke Ivan Danilovich Kalita They inflicted great oppression on the inhabitants of Rostov and the Rostov lands, literally extorting tribute and quitrents from them, which had to be paid to the Horde. Many not only lost their property, but were beaten and maimed. Even the “city eparch” (that is, the main Rostov boyar) Averky “was hanged upside down, and they laid their hands on him, and so they left him desecrated.” Unable to withstand such misfortunes, boyar Kirill left his Rostov possessions and moved to Radonezh, a volost that was part of the Moscow principality proper (later it would go to youngest son Ivan Kalita to Andrey). The Moscow princes granted many benefits to the residents of their principality; This is what attracted settlers here from lands devastated and plundered (including by the Muscovites themselves). Together with boyar Kirill in Radonezh Many of his relatives also moved.

The life of the youth Bartholomew continued to flow in frequent prayers and thoughts about the destiny of man. He avoided games, did not argue with anyone, did not swear, rarely laughed, strictly observed fasting and exhausted his body with various feats. Soon his brothers Stefan and Peter got married. Bartholomew did not even think about marriage and thought about leaving the world and taking monastic vows in a monastery. When he talked about this with his parents, Epiphanius says, they answered him: “Child, wait a little and be patient for us: we are old, poor, sick now, and there is no one to care for us. When you bury us, then you will fulfill your desire.” Bartholomew I happily promised them this.

After some time, his parents took monastic vows and soon reposed, blessing their son and leaving him all their property. Having seen off my parents on their last journey, Bartholomew returned to his home and began to arrange everyday affairs. He called his little brother Petra and handed over to him the house and all the parental property, but left nothing for himself. His elder brother Stefan was widowed by this time. After the death of his wife, he took monastic vows in a monastery Holy Mother of God on Khotkovo (about three miles from Radonezh). Bartholomew came to Stephen and began to beg him to go with him to look for a deserted place where he could lead a solitary, pious life. Stephen agreed. At that time, Bartholomew was about twenty years old.

The brothers walked around many forest places and finally found a certain deserted place located in the thicket of the forest., approximately ten miles from the Khotkov Monastery. There was also water, without which desert life would be impossible. The brothers fell in love with the area and began clearing the forest. With their own hands they first built a light hut, and then cut down a cell and a small church from logs. By mutual consent they decided to dedicate Church of the Holy Trinity. From Moscow, from Metropolitan Theognostus, some priests arrived and consecrated the newly built temple.

Life in these desert places was difficult: there was need for everything, there was deprivation for everything, and there was nowhere to get food, drink, or anything else that was necessary for life. Soon after the consecration of the church Stephen, unable to endure the hardships of the desert lives, left his brother and went to Moscow where he settled in Epiphany Monastery. At that time in this monastery stayed and the future Metropolitan Alexey. Prince Semyon Ivanovich Proud, son of Ivan Kalita, brought Stefan closer to him, ordered him to be made abbot of the Epiphany monastery and made him his confessor.

Left alone in his chosen place after his brother’s departure, the saint continued his ascetic life.: he wanted to take monastic orders only after he had strengthened himself in labors and exploits and accustomed himself to the hardships of monastic life. And so, having tested himself in this way, he called to his monastery a certain spiritual old man, Abbot Mitrofan, and asked him perform the rite of tonsure. This happened in 1342, on October 7, in memory of the holy martyrs Sergius and Bacchus, and therefore he was named in monasticism name Sergius.

« Who can tell about his labors or who is able to tell about his exploits which he accomplished while alone in the desert, exclaims the author Lives of a Saint. - About his constant vigil and unceasing prayers? About constant hunger, thirst, scarcity in everything? Because everything was missing - whatever you name it, it wasn’t there!” In addition, the monk experienced many temptations from demons: more than once or twice they came to him noisily, calling him to leave that place; The monk, armed with prayer and the cross, drove them out.

These places were uninhabited by people, says the Life, but many wild animals lived nearby. Packs of hungry wolves often prowled past the monk’s cell, and sometimes bears also visited him. Reverend, although he was afraid of them, like any person, he prayed diligently and thereby strengthened himself. One day a bear got into the habit of going to his hut. Reverend, seeing that the bear was coming to him not out of malice, but in order to get food for himself, he began to take a piece of bread out of the hut for the beast and put it on a stump or on a log so that the beast could take food. The bear took the bread and left. It happened that the monk gave him his last, but he himself remained hungry. The bear got used to going to him and visited him every day, patiently waiting for the offering. And it went on like this for a long time.

Gradually, rumors began to spread about the monk, and many from the surrounding villages and towns came to him for advice and blessings. And for everyone he had kind word, good advice. Started to come to Sergius and some monks, asking permission to settle nearby. At first the monk refused them, talking about the difficulties of life in these deserted places. But they begged him, and he gave in to their requests. The brethren built themselves separate cells(Sergius built three or four cells with his own hands) and began to live together. A total of twelve people gathered, and for a long time the number of monks remained constant: if one left the monastery, then another came in his place. Among others was Abbot Mitrofan- the same one that Sergius was tonsured into the monastic rank: he became the abbot of the monastery, and he also performed services in the church. However, after some time Abbot Mitrofan died. The brothers began to convince Sergius accept abbess, but he categorically refused, saying: “I have no thoughts of becoming an abbot. I want to remain a simple monk for the rest of my life and not teach others, but learn myself.” And yet, after long and persistent persuasion, Reverend I had to agree. He went on foot to the city of Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, to the Volyn Bishop Athanasius, who ruled then, in the absence Metropolitan, Russian Church. (Metropolitan Alexei was in Constantinople at that time.) Athanasius more than once heard from people about the ascetic life Sergius. After talking with him, he ordained him first as a subdeacon, then, on the same day, as a deacon, and the next day as a priest, and ordained abbot the monastery he founded. This happened in 1353.

Having become abbot, the monk did not change the severity of his life. As before, he did not disdain any labor: with his own hands he built cells for the brethren, carried water, chopped wood, baked bread, sewed clothes. He was the first to come to church and the last to leave the temple, spending his nights in fervent prayer, only briefly losing himself in sleep. Bread and water - and even then only on those days when there was no fasting - constituted his food. Reverend was different good health: the hardships of his chosen life did not exhaust him, but tempered him even more, giving him strength for new exploits.

Epiphanius in his Life gives several examples of the exceptional patience and humility of St. Sergius. One day in the monastery it happened hunger. At that time, the monastery had not yet adopted a communal charter; the brethren lived separately and managed their property themselves. Sergius, who did not have a piece of bread left, endured for three days and finally decided to hire a job for a monk who planned to add a vestibule to his cell. He had already prepared everything necessary for work and was only waiting for peasants from the nearest village. Monk I was afraid that Sergius will charge too much for his work, but Reverend replied that only a few pieces of old food would be enough for him moldy bread. Then the monk brought out a sieve with rotten bread and offered it Sergius. “If I haven’t done the work, I don’t take payment,” he answered. Reverend. He set to work with zeal and finished it by evening. Only at sunset he accepted the bread and, after praying, ate it.

The monk did not like expensive vestments and always wore simple and rough clothes. Once upon a time monastery a certain peasant came from a distant village. He heard a lot about Saint Sergius and wished to see him. Reverend then it happened to dig the ground in the monastery vegetable garden. When the peasant was told about this, he hurried into the garden and saw the saint there in thin and shabby clothes, covered with patches. The peasant turned away from blessed and did not even want to look at him, not believing that this was the great saint. “I came from afar to look at the great saint,” he said, “and now I see a simple and poor old man, of which there are many.” “Don’t worry, soon you will see who you want,” Sergius told him. Soon I arrived in monastery prince, dressed in luxurious clothes and accompanied by many servants. The saint, along with others, came out to meet him. Prince From afar, he dismounted from his horse and bowed to the ground, asking for a blessing from the saint. Then abbot And prince They sat down next to each other and began to talk with each other, while the others all stood. "What is this monk who sits talking to the prince? - asked the amazed peasant. “Have you not heard of Abbot Sergius? This is him,” they answered him. Hearing this, the peasant felt shame and repentance. When prince left, he bowed to the abbot to the ground and began to ask him for forgiveness for having offended him in words and thoughts. The saint encouraged him: “Don’t grieve, child. You alone thought correctly about me when you said that I am a simple person. Others are mistaken in considering me great.”

During his lifetime, Saint Sergius became famous for his gift of miracles. They said that he brought back to life a certain deceased youth, whom his father was already mourning and preparing to bury. At the same time, the saint forbade the parent of the boy he healed to thank himself: “You were mistaken, O man, and you don’t know what you are saying: your boy, when you carried him here, became weak from the cold, and it seemed to you that he died. Now he is warmed up in a warm cell, and you think that he has been resurrected. It’s impossible to resurrect anyone before the general Resurrection.” The saint also became famous for his gift of healing the demoniac. Through his prayer, near the monastery itself, where there was no running water, a plentiful spring began to flow, from which the monks subsequently began to take water for all the monastic needs, and the sick who came to the monastery received healing. But Sergius forbade the brethren to name this source Sergiev: “I did not give this water, but the Lord gave it to us, unworthy.”

Presumably around 1376, a communal charter was introduced in the monastery, which at that time was practically unknown in Muscovite Rus'. This was an event of paramount importance not only in the life of Trinity monastery, but also in the spiritual life of all Moscow Rus'. Monasteries of that time were divided into special (Keliot) and coenobitic (Cenovia). In the first, monks lived in special cells and owned their own property; as a rule, such monasteries were monasteries, that is, they were founded by laymen - princes, boyars, bishops or other individuals or groups of individuals; their abbots obeyed the ktitors in everything. Monasteries of the second type - cenobitic - were based on the complete renunciation of monks of their property and on the principles of equal compulsory participation of all monks in monastic services and work. The first communal monastery in Rus' was Kiev-Pechersk, founded by the Monks Anthony and Theodosius in the 11th century; however, later the monks Pecherskaya the monasteries moved away from principles general life. Moscow Rus' knew almost exclusively Keliot monasteries.

The life of the saint tells about this significant event in the life of the Sergius Monastery as follows:. Envoys arrived from Constantinople from Patriarch Philotheus to Moscow. They also visited the monastery of St. Sergius, presenting him with a message from the patriarch. The message said that the patriarch had heard a lot about a virtuous life Abbot Sergius; “But one thing is still missing - your hostel has not been arranged.” Because patriarch and gave advice: to introduce a communal charter in the monastery, under which all the property of the brethren became common. In addition to this message, the patriarch sent Sergius a cross with particles of the relics of the Lithuanian martyrs John, Anthony and Eustathius, who were executed shortly before in Lithuania, as well as a paramand - a small quadrangular plate depicting the passion of Christ, and a schema - monastic robe. Sergius went for advice to Moscow, to Metropolitan Alexei. With the consent of the Metropolitan, a communal charter was introduced at the Trinity Monastery. Brethren were distributed according to responsibilities: one became a cellarer, the other a cook, a baker, etc. Sergius demanded that the brethren firmly follow the commandment: “not to own anything of one’s own, not to call anything one’s own, but to consider everything as common.” The monastery began to care more about feeding the poor and wretched, wanderers and pilgrims. In general, the introduction of a communal charter significantly increased the influence of the monastery on the social life of the country. Subsequently, cohabitation and the introduction of common monastic property allowed the monastery to become the largest owner of land and dependent peasants in Russia. From Trinity the dormitory charter gradually began to spread to other monasteries spiritually connected with Sergieva.

Of course, not all the brethren were ready to accept the changes that took place in the monastery. Some left the monastery, others openly expressed dissatisfaction. The life tells, for example, about a quarrel that occurred between Sergius and his brother Stefan who returned to the monastery: Stephen declared that he was higher than the abbot, because he came to this place earlier than others. Sergius did not argue with his brother, but on the same day he left the monastery and went to the Kirzhach River, where he set up a cell for himself, and then, with the blessing of Metropolitan Alexei, began building a church. A new monastery was built here - in the name Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

When the brethren found out where Sergius was, they began to come to him- sometimes two people, sometimes three or even more. Those who remained, unable to live without their spiritual mentor, went to Metropolitan Alexei and prayed to him to beg the saint to return to his monastery. Alexey sent two archimandrites to Kirzhach - Gerasim and Pavel, who conveyed the command to the monk metropolitan. The Bishop urged the saint to do this so that the monks of the monastery he founded would not disperse and sacred the place was not deserted. Sergius unquestioningly fulfilled the metropolitan’s command: he returned to the monastery Holy Trinity to the joy of all the brethren. In the Annunciation Monastery he founded on Kirzhach, he left his student Roman as abbot.

By this time, the name of St. Sergius had already been glorified throughout the Russian land. In 1374, at the request of Prince Vladimir Andreevich, cousin Dmitry Donskoy, the monk founded the Vysotsky Monastery near Serpukhov in honor of the Conception of the Most Holy Theotokos. His disciple Afanasy became the abbot of this monastery. In the same year 1374 Sergius participated in the congress of Russian princes in Pereyaslavl and baptized the third son of the great Prince Dmitry Ivanovich Yuri. Returning to the monastery, the chronicler says, he fell seriously ill and lay ill all spring and summer 1375

In addition to Kirzhachsky and Serpukhovsky Vysotsky, known and many other monasteries, founded with the blessing of the Trinity Abbot. Around 1360, Metropolitan Alexei founded the Spassky (now Spas-Andronikov) monastery on the banks of the Yauza River, the first abbot of which was a student Saint Sergius Andronik. Later, the Trinity elders became the first inhabitants of another monastery founded by Metropolitan Alexei - the Kremlin Chudov.

In the monastery of Sergius he took monastic vows and his own nephew lived for a long time, his brother's son Stefan Theodore. He wished to found a new one somewhere monastery, and after his long and urgent requests, the abbot blessed him for this. Theodore found a suitable place on the banks of the Moscow River; Sergius came to personally see the place he had chosen and approved of his nephew’s choice. This area was called Simonovo, and so monastery received the name Simonovsky. (Subsequently Theodore, Abbot Simonovsky, was elevated to the rank of Archbishop of Rostov.) Let us also name those who received the blessing of himself Sergius Golutvinsky monastery in Kolomna in the name of the Holy Epiphany and two Dubensky monasteries in the name of the Dormition of the Mother of God - one on the Dubenka River, a tributary of the Dubna, 40 versts northwest of the Trinity (the abbot of this monastery was Reverend Savva, a student of Sergius, the future abbot of the Zvenigorod Storozhevsky Monastery), another in the village of Stromyn, 50 versts northeast of Moscow. (All of the named monasteries were founded by Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich.)

And this is only a small fraction of the monasteries created by the disciples or interlocutors of St. Sergius. In total there are up to forty such monasteries; in turn, from them came the founders of about fifty more monasteries. All of them, following the example Trinity-Sergius Monastery, adopted the dormitory charter.

In the forests of the Kostroma Trans-Volga region, a monastery was founded by Sergius’s disciple Abraham Chukhlomskaya. In the forests of the northern Moscow region - Methodius Peshnoshsky. The disciple of Sergius, the monk Sylvester, founded a monastery on the Obnor River in deep forests between Yaroslavl and Vologda; Trinity monks Afanasy and Theodosius became the founders of the Resurrection and Cherepovets monasteries. The famous Russian ascetic Kirill Belozersky was also a disciple of St. Sergius; he came from the Simonov Monastery, founded by the disciple of the Trinity Abbot Theodore.

According to the Life of Saint Sergius, shortly before his death, Metropolitan Alexei called upon the Trinity abbot and persuaded him to accept the rank of Metropolitan of Russia. “I chose you as worthy to fulfill the true covenant: after all, I know well that from the great princes to last person everyone is demanding you for this place,” he told the monk. But Sergius refused, this time flatly: “Holy Lord! If you don’t want me, a beggar, to leave and not hear your shrine, don’t continue talking to me about this, and don’t let anyone else, because no one can convince me otherwise.” These words testified both to the true humility of the saint, and, as researchers believe, also to the fact that the Trinity abbot remained faithful to the canonical rules: by that time, a metropolitan had already been installed in Constantinople to the Russian See, a successor Saint Alexei Bulgarian Cyprian, later also canonized.

The Life tells of the great visions of St. Sergius and clear signs of his closeness to the higher, Heavenly powers. St. Sergius Thus, one day, when the monk was celebrating the liturgy together with two other priests, his disciples saw a fourth person serving with him - a luminous man in shining vestments: he was an angel, always invisibly helping the saint. Another time a fiery flame came out from the hand of the saint; the flame also illuminated the altar during the service: when the saint wanted to receive communion, the flame entered the chalice (chalice for the holy gifts). The disciples saw all this

, but the monk himself forbade them to tell anyone about what they saw until his death. The Monk Sergius was the first of the Russian saints to be honored with a visit to the Most Holy Theotokos herself.

The Life of the Saint tells this story about his great vision. One night the monk, as was his custom, stood in prayer before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. His student Micah was with him. Having completed the canon, the monk sat down to rest and said to his disciple: “Child! Be ready because will be at this hour." And suddenly a voice rang out: “Behold, the Most Pure One is coming!” The saint, having heard, quickly left the cell in the vestibule. And then a great light, brighter than the sun, illuminated him, and the saint saw Blessed Virgin Mary with two apostles, Peter and John, shining with an indescribable light. Unable to bear such a blinding light, the saint fell on his face. The Most Pure One touched him with her hands and said: “Do not be afraid, my chosen one! I came to visit you. Your prayer for your disciples and for your monastery has been heard. Grieve no more: from now on there will be no shortage of anything, and not only during your life, but even after your death, I will not leave this monastery!” Having said this, Most Pure became invisible.

The saint was overwhelmed with fear and trembling. His disciple Micah lay as if dead from fear. Having woken up, he fell at the feet of the saint and asked him: “What was that, father?” The saint rejoiced in his soul, so that his face shone with joy, but he could not answer his disciple, only this: “Be patient, child, for my spirit trembles within me from the wonderful vision.” Having calmed down a little, the saint asked Micah to call his disciples, Isaac and Simon, to him. And when they arrived, Sergius told them everything in order - about the vision Holy Mother of God with the apostles and about the promises that the Most Pure One gave him. And unspeakable joy overwhelmed everyone, and together they sang a prayer service to the Mother of God and glorified God.
Medieval Rus' I have never known such miracles before. The appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos to the Trinity abbot - and this miraculous vision soon became known far beyond the monastery - illuminated with an invisible light not only the Trinity monastery, but also the entire Russian land, testifying to special patronage Mother of God of Rus', and at the most difficult time for Moscow State time.

In 1380, a terrible danger loomed over the Russian land. Mamai's hordes moved into Russian borders, intending to ruin Rus'. Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich gathered many soldiers and set out to meet the enemy - “for the holy churches, and for Orthodox faith Christian, and for the entire Russian land,” as the ancient chronicler wrote. According to legend, on the eve of their speech from Moscow, Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich and other Russian princes came “to the Holy Trinity” - to the Trinity Monastery, to Abbot Sergius, to bow to him and take his blessing for the upcoming feat of arms. Life of a Saint and the famous "Tale of Mamaev's massacre“This is how they talk about it.

When the princes came to the monastery, the monk persuaded them to listen to the holy liturgy, because it was then Sunday and the memory of the holy martyrs Florus and Laurus was being read in the church. At the end of the liturgy, Sergius and all the brethren began to beg the Grand Duke to dine with them. Dmitriy was in confusion, as messengers arrived to him with the news that the Tatars were already approaching the Russian borders. And he began to ask the monk to let him go. Sergius answered the prince: “This delay of yours will turn into doubly haste for you. For the hour has not yet come for you to try on the crown of death, but it will come only in a few years. For many others, their mortal crowns are now being woven.” The Grand Duke dined at the monastery. Abbot or Sergius At that time he ordered the water to be blessed from the relics of Saints Florus and Laurus. And when the Grand Duke got up from the meal, the monk sprinkled him sacred water and all his army, and overshadowed the Grand Duke with the cross of Christ. And he said: “Go, sir, against the filthy with God, and Lord He will be your helper and protector.” And he added quietly: “You, sir, will have victory over your adversaries.”

The prince asked the abbot: “Give me, father, two warriors from your brethren - Alexandra Peresvet and his brother Andrei Oslyabyu.” The elder ordered both to quickly get ready and go with the Grand Duke. Before they were tonsured, these two monks were famous warriors and took part in battles more than once. Both immediately obeyed the monk and fulfilled his command. And gave them Abbot Sergius instead of weapons, the cross of Christ, sewn on their schemas, and ordered them to put on themselves instead of gilded helmets. And he handed it over to the Grand Duke, saying: “Here are my warriors and your chosen ones.” I’ll relight and Oslyaba said this: “Peace be with you, my brothers! Fight hard for the faith Christ's and for all Orthodox Christianity with the filthy!” And he made the sign of the cross over the entire army of the Grand Duke.

On the very day of the Battle of Kulikovo, September 8, 1380, when the Russian regiments were already lined up for battle, A messenger appeared to the Grand Duke with letters from the Venerable Abbot Sergius. And these are the words with which the great elder addressed the prince and the soldiers: “Peace and blessings to the Grand Duke, and to all the Russian princes, and to the entire Orthodox army!” “The great prince,” writes the author of “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamaev,” “having listened to the scripture of the reverend elder and kissed the messenger with love, he strengthened himself with that letter, as if with some kind of solid armor.” And also sent Sergius great Prince Dmitry"bread" Holy Mother of God" The news of Sergius' envoys quickly spread throughout the regiments and inspired the soldiers; Trusting in the prayers of the saint, they were ready to rush into battle without fear and accept death for the Orthodox faith and for their native land.

They said that during the entire time the battle was taking place, St. Sergius, Having gathered the brethren, he stood with them in prayer and fervently asked the Lord to grant victory to the Orthodox army. The Reverend had great gift insight: he clearly foresaw the outcome of the battle and told the brethren about the Russian victory.

Modern historians question the fact of Dmitry Donskoy's visit Trinity abbot on the eve of the Battle of Kulikovo, sometimes believing that the story of the Life of Dmitry’s arrival to St. Sergius refers to events of an earlier time - namely, to 1378, on the eve of the battle between the Russians and Tatars on the Vozha River. It is difficult to judge to what extent the hagiographic tradition is based on real facts. But it is indisputable that the Battle of Kulikovo itself was unthinkable without the spiritual upsurge that it experienced in those years Rus and which is associated with the name of St. Sergius and the names of his disciples and associates. In the minds of the people, it was Sergius who blessed the great national cause of liberation Rus' from the Horde yoke.

The Kulikovo victory played a huge role in the history of Russia. But, alas, it did not lead either to the overthrow of the Horde yoke, or even to the short-term liberation of Rus' from the power of the Tatars. Just two years after the victory, Rus' was attacked by the Horde Khan Tokhtamysh, who burned and devastated Moscow. The Monk Sergius then retired to Tver. The enemies were already not far from the monastery, but the right hand of God saved the Trinity Monastery: Tokhtamysh soon left Russian borders.

We don’t know too much about the subsequent years in the life of the great old man. But it is known that at the end of his life the monk did not abandon his concerns to those in power, and participated in political life Russian state. In 1385 he baptized another son Prince Dmitry Donskoy- Petra. At the end of the same year, the saint, on behalf of the Grand Duke, went to Ryazan, to the Ryazan prince Oleg Ivanovich. At that time, there was a war between Moscow and Ryazan: in 1382, Oleg helped Tokhtamysh, violating the agreement concluded Dmitry contract; in the fall of the same year, Dmitry, in revenge, plundered and burned Ryazan; in turn, Oleg in the spring 1385 captured Kolomna, which caused new trip Dmitry. Sergius managed to reconcile the opponents: his meek word turned out to be stronger than military weapons; Oleg agreed to enter into an agreement with Grand Duke of Moscow.

The Monk Sergius remained the confessor of Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich. In 1389, he was a witness when drawing up his “spiritual charter,” that is, his will. Dmitry Donskoy died on May 19, 1389. Sergius took part in his funeral and, among others, mourned the Grand Duke, who had done so much for home country. (Already in our days, in 1988, Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy was canonized by the Church.)

The great ascetic himself outlived his spiritual son by three years. Foreseeing his death six months in advance, he appointed his disciple Nikon as abbot of the Trinity Monastery. From now on great old man surrendered to complete silence, preparing to depart from life. In September he became seriously ill. Feeling the approach of death, the monk called the brethren to him and addressed them for the last time with teaching and guidance: he exhorted the monks to remain in faith and like-mindedness. At the very last minutes the saint wished to take communion Holy Mysteries. He could no longer get out of bed on his own; the students supported him by the arms the last time he ate the Body and Blood Christ's. Then, raising his hands to the sky, he died with a prayer on his lips. His death occurred on September 25, 1392.

The saint's body was buried in the monastery he founded. Thirty years after his death, Abbot Nikon decided to build a temple in the name of the Most Holy Trinity over the grave of his teacher. At the very beginning of the work, while digging ditches for the stone temple, on July 5, 1422, the discovery of incorruptible relics Venerable Sergius. The holy relics were placed first in a wooden and then in a newly built stone church.

Speaking about the greatest of Russian saints, one cannot ignore miracles committed by him after death. The saint more than once appeared in visions to the monks of the Trinity Monastery, more than once brought healing to the suffering, healed terrible ailments and healed wounds. In difficult moments he came to help to military people far beyond the monastery. He was seen, for example, by the defenders of a small Opochka fortress within the Pskov borders: the holy elder defended the city from the Lithuanians approaching it, and through his prayers the enemy was defeated. But what happened in the city of Sviyazhsk, established by order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible in 1551 near Kazan (the tsar was then preparing to conquer Kazan). In that city there was icon of St. Sergius, miracles from which were given not only to believers, but also to unbelieving pagans. When the city was already built, to royal The elders of the mountain Cheremis (Chuvash) appeared to the governors and told the following: “Five years before the construction of the city, we heard bells ringing in this place many times, as is customary Russian custom. We were in fear and bewilderment and sent our fastest young men to see what was happening there. And they heard voices singing, as if during a church service, but those singing were not visible. They just saw a certain old man: he walked around that place with an icon and a cross, and blessed on all sides, and sprinkled water, as if he was measuring the place where to build a city.

And our youths shot arrows at him, but the arrows did not reach him and did not harm him.” When those elders were shown the image St. Sergius, they recognized him.

Especially many miracles were performed by the monk during the difficult time of the siege of the Trinity Monastery Poles during the Great Troubles. Not once Sergius appeared to the defenders of the monastery, strengthening their spirit and encouraging them to defend monastery. And the enemy could not do anything about the few defenders of the Trinity, although they outnumbered them several times. Reverend He also appeared to the Cossacks who were besieging the Lavra along with the Poles. One of the Cossacks from the enemy camp came to the monastery and said that many military leaders saw two luminous elders walking along the monastery walls - miracle workers Sergius And Nikon of Radonezh: one of them was censing monastery, and the other sprinkled him with holy water. Then they turned to the Cossack regiments, reproaching them for the fact that they, together with the Gentiles, wanted to ruin the house Holy Trinity. The Poles began to shoot at the elders, but the arrows and bullets bounced back at the shooters themselves and wounded many of them. Some of the Cossacks, frightened by this vision, left the enemy camp and went home, promising never to raise arms against Orthodox. And in subsequent centuries, St. Sergius remained a protector and patron of the Russian land.

The Church celebrates the memory of the Venerable Abbot Sergius, the Wonderworker of Radonezh, on September 25 (October 8), the day of his death, and July 5 (18), the day of the discovery of his relics.