Metropolitan Innocent. Saint Innocent Metropolitan of Moscow

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Start of the journey: Academy, Lavra, Peter's fleet

Many people from this family held spiritual positions and were distinguished by their piety. However, nothing is known about the saint’s parents. Only the legend has survived that they were pious and God-fearing people.

The saint, who received the name John in baptism, was born around 1680 and upon reaching adolescence, around 1695, was sent to school at the Kiev Epiphany Monastery. Here the boy studied rhetoric, philosophy, theology and languages: Latin, Greek and Polish.

The school at the Kiev Epiphany Monastery, renamed the academy in 1701, was then the best in Southwestern Rus'. At that time, many famous men taught there. The rector of the academy was the learned Archimandrite Joasaph Krokovsky, literature was taught by Stefan Yavorsky, later Metropolitan of Ryazan and locum tenens of the patriarchal throne. At the same time, the most famous preacher during the reign of Peter I, Feofan Prokopovich, was also a mentor at the academy.

John diligently studied science; Many books have come down to us, copied by the hand of the saint or belonging to him. He studied literature especially zealously and read Western Russian preachers, since he subsequently wanted to strive in preaching the word of God. He no less loved to read the works of the fathers and teachers of the Church. Prayer and study of the word of God - these were the activities of Blessed John during his years of study.

He had long dreamed of devoting himself entirely to serving the Lord.

External difficult circumstances - the death of his parents, the plague that appeared in Kyiv - prompted him to speed up the fulfillment of his intention. Having completed a course of study at the Kyiv Academy in 1706, he accepted monasticism and joined the brethren of the Kiev-Pechersk monastery with the name Innocent.

Here Saint Innocent taught literature and taught students the art of church orbit. In 1714 the saint was appointed prefect of the academy. His duty was to monitor the order of the internal and external life of the pupils, and in addition, he also taught moral theology and philosophy.

He held this position until 1719, until he was summoned with the rank of cathedral hieromonk to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra and assigned to the ship "Samson", which was stationed in Reval.

From “Samson” he was soon transferred by chief hieromonk to the city of Abo. Occupying this position, the saint was the head of the naval hieromonks who served in the Finnish Corps, supervised their behavior, resolved misunderstandings and communicated about church needs with the Holy Synod. Since Saint Innocent, as part of his service, had to visit every ship every week, he was probably well known to the sovereign, who so loved the fleet he created.

But the Lord appointed His saint a new, higher ministry. He destined him to be an educator of the most remote outskirts of the Russian state - Eastern Siberia.

Siberia: a picture of outrageous unrest

Along with the settlement of Russians across vast Siberia, the faith of Christ also spread: crosses or chapels were erected in winter huts, churches were built in forts, and churches and monasteries were built in cities.

In 1620, the Siberian diocese was opened in Tobolsk. But one bishop, of course, was not enough for vast Siberia, and church life presented a sad picture of flagrant disorder. There were not enough clergy, many churches stood without singing; the monasteries lived without a charter, and the monks were such only in name. Among the believers, not excluding the clergy and monasticism, such vices were encountered and such licentiousness reigned that it is indecent to even describe. Siberia needed apostles of the faith of Christ.

In the middle of the 17th century, Russian settlers reached the border of the Chinese Empire, Lake Baikal and the Amur River. At that time, small fortress-forts were built there: in 1654 - the Nerchinsky fort, in 1665 - the Selengansky fort, both on the eastern side of Lake Baikal. On the western side, even earlier, in 1652, the Irkutsk settlement was founded to collect tribute from neighboring foreigners.

Both relations and clashes with China begin with these settlers; From them the Orthodox Christian faith penetrates into China. In 1650, the Cossack ataman Ierofey Khabarov occupied the Chinese city of Albazin on the left bank of the Amur River. Having fortified themselves in Albazin and set up towns, the Cossacks stayed here for thirty-five years, and from here they controlled the entire course of the Amur. But in 1685, the Chinese, with a 15,000-strong army and numerous artillery, besieged 450 Cossacks settled in Albazin, and, having destroyed part of the Russians, captured the rest (about 300).

The prisoners were offered either to return to the Siberian settlements or to submit to the Chinese Bogdykhan. 45 people with women and children agreed to the latter. They became the seed of the Orthodox Russian Mission in China.

When they left Albazin, they took with them from the fortress church poor church utensils with icons, and among them - the image of St. Nicholas, and also forcibly carried away the priest Maxim Leontyev with them. The Russian captives were received very kindly by Bogdykhan Kangxi and settled in Beijing, on the so-called “Birch tract”, in the north-eastern corner of the capital, near the city wall. This Bogdykhan of Kangxi reigned from 1662 to 1722; he was a gentle man who sympathized with the Europeans.

During his long reign the Catholic mission made great strides in China.

Bogdykhan gave the Cossacks a Buddhist temple, which they converted into a chapel. The captives themselves were included in the honorable class of warriors. In 1696, the chapel was rebuilt into a church, consecrated in the name of St. Sophia, the Wisdom of God, although it was usually called St. Nicholas after the revered icon. The elderly Father Maxim worked zealously in a foreign land and continued his pastoral activities until his death, which followed in 1711 or 1712.

Chinese mission

In 1715, according to the plan of the tireless “Apostle of Siberia” Metropolitan Philotheus of Tobolsk and with the consent of Bogdykhan, the first Russian Mission was sent to China - ten people led by Archimandrite Hilarion of Lezhaisky. Bogdykhan received the Mission kindly, gave it maintenance and allowed worship.

In 1718, the rector of the Mission, Archimandrite Hilarion, died. In his place, the Holy Synod appointed Saint Innocent.

Even before his elevation to the rank of archimandrite, rumors reached the Synod, which later, however, turned out to be incorrect, that the Chinese Emperor Kangxi was inclined to convert to Christianity. Metropolitan Philotheus then wrote to the Siberian governor, Prince Gagarin: “It would be useful, when appointing a good and wise man to Beijing, to honor him with the rank of bishop or archpastoral and to send about fifteen people to the clergy with him.”

The Holy Synod, having considered this matter, decided to send a bishop to Beijing so that he could ordain priests and deacons. Saint Innocent, known for his piety and learning, was chosen as bishop of Beijing.

The final decision depended on Peter I.

During the proceedings of this case, Archimandrite Theodosius of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra was appointed Bishop of Novgorod, and Saint Innocent was temporarily entrusted with the position of vicar of the Lavra.

On February 14, 1721, the Holy Synod reported to Emperor Peter I: “Should we consecrate Hieromonk Innokenty Kulchitsky, appointed to the Khin state (that is, to China), as bishop of Irkutsk and Nerchinsk for proximity to that state? And for the sake of more convenient treatment, should it be separated from the Siberian diocese?”

The Emperor commanded: “To ordain bishops, but it is better without the title of cities, since these cities are bordering Hina (that is, China), so that the Jesuits do not misinterpret and cause disaster.”

Then Saint Innocent reported to the Synod: “Because God, the Royal Majesty and Your Holy Synod have so deigned, for me, the undersigned, to be honored with the rank of episcopate, to send to China for a task, as you know, for this sake and I will not have such high persons resisting, but moreover kissing with all due respect, daring to express certain needs, without which it is impossible to be there and on the way.”

In a further report, Blessed Innocent asked to release the things necessary for worship and the required amount.

On March 5, 1721, he was consecrated bishop in St. Petersburg in the presence of the sovereign himself. But since, according to church rules, every bishop must be named according to his region, Blessed Innocent was named Bishop of Pereyaslavl on behalf of Pereyaslavl-Zalessky. The decree of the Holy Synod says that Innocent was ordained a bishop to “preach the word of God and propagate Eastern piety for the sake of the Orthodox faith in the Khin state, where there had never been a bishop before.”

By appointing Innocent to preach the Gospel, the Holy Synod at the same time placed him in an independent position relative to the Metropolitan of Siberia, subordinated the newly installed saint directly to himself, and ordered the Siberian ruler to help Bishop Innocent in his relations with the Holy Synod.

On April 19, 1721, the saint, together with two hieromonks, two deacons, 5 choristers and several ministers, left St. Petersburg for Moscow.

In Moscow, he received a letter from the Senate, ordering him not to disclose upon his arrival in China that the bishop had the rank of bishop, due to obstacles from the Jesuits. If, by chance, one of the noble and high-ranking people there asked him about his rank, then the bishop had to answer that he had the rank of bishopric for the purpose of ordaining a priest and deacon, as necessary, in the place of the dead, and not for anything else. But even such a statement was ordered to be made with great caution.

The saint had not yet left Russia, and the authorities were already afraid of hostile actions from the Chinese and especially from the Jesuits. These expectations were justified, but what the Holy Synod expected from Saint Innocent was also fulfilled. On the remote outskirts of the Russian state, the saint was a true shepherd, a bright light of Christ's teaching, who led many souls to the Lord from the darkness of paganism.

Before leaving for Siberia, Saint Innocent was given silver vessels and an omophorion from the patriarchal sacristy. Other necessary utensils, by synodal order, were taken in Suzdal from the sacristy of Metropolitan Ephraim. And the liturgical books were issued to him from the Synodal Printing House.

It took about a year for the saint and his retinue to travel to Irkutsk - here he had to await further orders from the Synod.

Anxious waiting: life on the border

The journey was very painful and difficult. Harsh climate, unfamiliar places, lack of roads, wild animals, nomadic foreigners - Saint Innocent and his companions had to endure all this.

They had to have gunpowder and guns with them. Finally, in March 1722, the saint and his retinue arrived in Irkutsk. The Irkutsk governor Poluektov immediately sent a letter from our government to Urga to Tushetkhan, the Mongol ruler, through whom letters were usually sent to the Chinese government from Russia.

Shortly before this, in 1719, Emperor Peter I sent an embassy to Beijing to resolve issues of free trade with China. The captain of the Preobrazhensky Guards Regiment, Lev Izmailov, was appointed envoy. The instructions given to Izmailov contained demands: the Chinese government should not prevent visiting Russians from practicing their faith, so that it would allow the construction of an Orthodox church and set aside a place for it. But Izmailov’s embassy was not successful: permission to build a second church was not given. At this time, news came to Beijing that 700 Mongols had crossed the Russian border. The Chinese government took advantage of this to stop negotiations with the Russian envoy: Izmailov was told that they would not give an answer to his proposals until the case about the fugitives was resolved. Izmailov was supposed to leave China in March 1721.

By the time Saint Innocent approached the Chinese border, our envoy had already left China.

Tushetkhan informed our government that with the letter of recommendation to the saint there was no letter from the Siberian governor to him, Tushetkhan, and in general the new Russian Mission could not be accepted before negotiations on the extradition of the fugitives had ended. The reason for this reluctance of the Chinese should be considered the envy of the Jesuits. In the letter, or letter of recommendation, sent from the Senate in the absence of Peter the Great, the saint was called “a spiritual person, Mr. Innocent Kulchitsky.” The Jesuits hastened to explain in a sense unfavorable to us what should be meant by the words “lord, spiritual person.”

A letter soon sent by the Tobolsk governor to Tushetkhan further complicated the already complicated relationship. According to custom, Innocent was called “great lord” in this charter. The Chinese government responded that Bogdykhan could not receive such a great and important person. Thus, the matter of sending the saint to China could not be brought to the desired end. The suspicion and isolation of the Chinese, the intrigues and envy of the Jesuits, the difficult historical conditions that the Russian state was then experiencing - it was the time of the Persian campaign (the Persian campaign took place in 1722. Emperor Peter I took personal part in it) - these were the main reasons that prevented the success of the Mission .

Meanwhile, the position of the saint, who was then living in the Trinity Selenga Monastery, was extremely difficult. He repeatedly appealed to the Synod for further orders

And where? Tenderly the foxes have ulcers on the edges ( that is, for relaxation), I am still not an imam, where to lay my head. I wander from yard to yard and from house to house, transiently.”

This is how the saint himself described his situation. The Holy Synod, hoping that the state of affairs would change for the better, sent a decree to the saint in 1723, ordering him to remain in Selenginsk until the situation was resolved.

The position of the saint became more and more disastrous and difficult. Salaries began to be withheld and not given, letters could not be sent to Russia - the Chinese intercepted them.

“What does the Holy Synod want us to do and where should we turn it? For I am very sad, not knowing the way, but I will go,” the saint wrote to the Synod.

Without receiving a salary, he himself and his retinue lived on the donations of Russian merchants; the retinue was engaged in fishing, the saint himself repaired his worn-out dress.

The life of the officials of the Chinese Mission was meager and poor, but, rich in humility and patience, the saint set an example for everyone and consoled them with the hope of future reward. The only joy for Blessed Innocent was then to perform divine services in the Selenga Cathedral. But need forced him to move to the dacha of the Trinity Selenga Monastery. This dacha was located on the left bank of the Khilki River, opposite the village of Krasnoyarsk. In the church that was next to that dacha, the saint poured out his sorrow in prayers before the Lord; only one prayer supported the saint. Despite the difficult living conditions, the saint did not like to remain idle. In his free time from prayer, he painted icons. Many such icons, painted by his hand, were preserved in the temple of the village of Kunalei, to which Krasnoyarsk was assigned. At the same time, the saint preached the word of God to the Buryats and Mongols living around him, and greatly contributed to the establishment of the true faith of Christ among them. Therefore, the Church, remembering the saint, sings: “Rejoice, for the preaching of the Gospel, which you brought to the Mongolian tongues, has cruelly put to shame the deceit of human souls.”

The saint lived in Selenginsk and at the dacha of the monastery for three years.

Meanwhile, changes have occurred in China. At the end of 1722, the elderly Bogdykhan of Kangxi died and his son Yong-cheng ascended the throne. The new sovereign was very disliked towards foreigners and Christians: he ordered the expulsion of most of the Catholic missionaries from China, their churches turned into public houses, and strictly forbade worship. This dislike of the Chinese sovereign towards Christians was now the main reason for the uncertain situation in which Saint Innocent found himself.

In August 1724, negotiations were resumed with Chinese commissioners who arrived in Selenginsk. But they refused to petition their government for the passage of Saint Innocent.

“Now we cannot accept it until we report to Bogdykhan, and when there is a certain person from the All-Russian autocrat with the same powers as we have, and the agreement is made about everything we were sent for, then we will again (work) for this gentleman, having received instructions from our sovereign, whether he will be accepted or not.”

The Chinese commissioners demanded, first of all, that an ambassador be sent to St. Petersburg; this took a lot of time.

Moving to Irkutsk

At that time (February 14, 1725) a decree came from the Synod, which commanded the blessed saint to leave Selenginsk for Irkutsk and wait there for a new decree. Arriving in Irkutsk, the saint, with the consent of Metropolitan Anthony of Tobolsk, settled in the Ascension Monastery. Here he lived for almost a year, without intervening in government affairs, only ordaining henchmen on behalf of the Metropolitan of Siberia.

New adversities awaited the Bishop at his new residence. The archimandrite of the Ascension Monastery was Anthony Platkovsky, an ambitious and very cunning man. The desire to become the head of the Beijing Mission prompted him, without considering the means, to pursue his goal. Platkovsky was distinguished by his unbridled temper and cruelty. Having learned about the arrival of Saint Innocent in Irkutsk, Metropolitan Anthony of Tobolsk and the governor Prince Dolgorukov asked the saint to sort out their dispute with Platkovsky, but the saint did not undertake this, since he considered himself not to have the right to sort out the misdeeds of an archimandrite who was not under his jurisdiction.

According to this decree, Saint Innocent had to accompany the envoy to the border and generally act in accordance with his advice. The saint went to Selenginsk. But this time the Lord did not lead him to move beyond the Russian border. The envoy petitioned the Chinese authorities in writing for the passage of Saint Innocent to Beijing, but was unsuccessful. After a meeting with two ministers of Bogdykhan on the border river Bure, the envoy reported to St. Petersburg on August 31, 1726, “that the Chinese ministers who received him at the border did not allow Bishop Innokenty Kulchitsky to go there with him, the count, to China without the khan’s decree, and do not expect he is to be accepted by the Chinese.” At the same time, Raguzinsky reported that, according to the Chinese ministers, Bogdykhan would never agree to accept such a great personage into China, since “their dad or khutukhta is called a great master.”

Raguzinsky's report was taken into account in St. Petersburg. The count’s proposal was also accepted to go to Beijing to Archimandrite Anthony, about whom he spoke with praise: living in Irkutsk, “he teaches children the Mongolian language and has been to Beijing and is a sober and not crazy person.”

And so the Holy Synod commands Saint Innocent to remain in charge of the Irkutsk Ascension Monastery until a new decree is received. The unknown and uncertainty of the situation tormented the saint. The more time passed, the more difficulties and hardships he had to experience. But he patiently endured them, knowing that without the will of God not a single hair could fall from a person’s head. Misfortune and hardship are the best path leading to eternal bliss. Saint Innocent endured them without a murmur.

First Bishop of Irkutsk: entering service

However, the saint did not have to wait long for a new appointment: on August 26, 1727, he received a decree to become a bishop in Irkutsk. Until now, there was a vicariate of the Tobolsk Metropolis here, but now a special bishopric has been formed. What awaited the saint in his new career was not rest, not peace from his previous labors, but even more worries, even more adversity. It is enough to mention that his predecessors accepted his appointment to Irkutsk as a punishment and were very burdened by it. The saint did not think so. He was not looking for rest in earthly life, but for work.

On September 2, 1727, he addressed his first word to his flock as archpastor and father. Here is his message: “By the grace of God, the Most Reverend Innocent, Bishop of Irkutsk and Nerchinsk. To the city of Irkutsk, to all the Holy and Eastern Churches, obedient, spiritual and temporal sons, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Due to the blessing of God, Her Imperial Majesty, having her gracious heart in the hand of God, according to the report of the Holy Governing Synod, deigned to appoint me, by her merciful imperial decree, to the Irkutsk diocese as a real bishop, and to give herself the title of that diocese, as has happened before, for this sake I pray first make all prayers for Her Imperial Majesty for health, and for her entire imperial family, the Holy Governing Synod, and also for our humility, calling us Irkutsk and Nerchinsk. Other things we pray to you and archpastorally exhort you, so that you philosophize with one accord, creating greater honor for each other, having peace and love among one another, just as the Apostle St. Paul teaches: the tree is most honorable, the tree is most loving, the tree is most praiseworthy, and so on, learn from these, follow this, this hold on, so that both the temporal good and the eternal good will be worthy to inherit, we wish with all our hearts and send blessings. Amen. Innocent Bishop."

Archimandrite Anthony Platkovsky caused Saint Innocent much grief. Proud of his appointment to the Beijing Mission, he demanded from the saint money more than 1000 rubles from the amount of the Ascension Monastery, without having any right to do so. The saint replied that he could not send the required amount, since there was no such money in the monastery treasury. At the same time, it was discovered that Platkovsky himself, when he was the archimandrite of the Ascension Monastery in Irkutsk, squandered a lot of money. The arrogant archimandrite even threatened that he would complain to the Synod. But the matter ended with the fact that he was forced to come to terms and pay back the money he had wasted.

Such unfair claims of Platkovsky greatly troubled the saint, who at the same time was zealously involved in the affairs of his diocese. Assuming the archpastoral throne in Irkutsk, he clearly foresaw that he would have a lot of work to do in his new ministry.

The clergy in the new diocese was in the most pitiful position. Most of the clergy received almost no education. Ignorant shepherds were little different from their flock and could not be spiritual leaders - instruct with an edifying word and attract with a good example. The children of the clergy then learned for the most part from their fathers, and they, having themselves received a meager education, could teach them little. Insufficient preparation for the priesthood inevitably entailed various unrest and disorder.

Many priests had difficulty reading and, ashamed of their illiteracy, the signature of others explained with their weak eyesight that “he, the priest, is sorrowful.” There was nowhere to get new ministers of the Church, for they were elevated to priesthood from the lower ranks; from a sexton they made a deacon, and a deacon was elevated to the rank of priest.

In general, understanding the importance of the clergy, Saint Innocent tried to elevate their position, as can be seen from one of his speeches addressed to the shepherds. In this speech, the saint tried to explain the importance and responsibility of priestly service. He said that priests are builders of the mysteries of God, light for darkness, salt of the earth, stars of heaven, shepherds who are obliged to drive away the wolves from their verbal flock. Priests, said the zealous archpastor, must diligently build the house of God, decorate it with every good deed, especially diligently preach the word of God, continuously teaching their spiritual children.

Organization of church life: eradication of drunkenness and training of the clergy

But regulations alone could not fix everything. It was necessary to prepare the future shepherds of the Church through teaching and education. Therefore, the saint cared a lot about the school. Before him there was one Mongolian school, established during Platkovsky’s time at the Ascension Monastery. But under Platkovsky this school was in the worst condition. At the beginning of 1728, the saint established a Russian school at the Mongolian school. From that time on, the school received the name Russian-Mongolian. Future shepherds were to emerge from the Russian department of this school. The saint took great care of her; he put her room in order and called the teachers himself. The school accepted children not only from the clergy, but also from all classes. The saint ordered the clergy to deliver their children aged 7 to 15 years to school. Those who did not comply with this order had to pay a fine of 15 rubles. In 1730, two years after the opening of the school, there were already about 36 students. The saint increased the salaries of teachers; he also zealously took care of the delivery of the necessary books.

The saint chose Hieromonk Lawrence to supervise his disciples. Maintaining the school cost him a lot of trouble and grief. Funds were extremely scarce. The saint mainly maintained this school with the income of the Ascension Monastery and with his own, although the latter were very insignificant.

The fact is that when Saint Innocent was appointed to the Irkutsk See, for some reason no order was made to pay him. Also, the boundaries of his diocese were not clearly defined. Metropolitan Anthony of Tobolsk retained some districts that should have passed to Saint Innocent, since they had previously been under the jurisdiction of the Irkutsk suffragan bishop. The saint petitioned the Synod in 1728 for his salary and asked to more accurately define the boundaries of the new diocese. On August 29, the Holy Synod decided to issue a salary to the saint and determined to build a bishop's house for him; At the same time, he found it necessary to include in the new diocese not only the Selenginsky district, but also the Yakut and Ilimsky districts. For the final decision, this resolution of the Synod was sent to the Senate, but it was still necessary to wait a long time for the Senate order.

If the chosen person had no obstacles to accepting holy orders, then the saint decided the resolution “for teaching at school.” The person elected was sent to a Mongolian-Russian school and studied here for at least two months. At this time, he was obliged to copy for himself the rules from the Spiritual Regulations relating to priestly service, then memorize them. At the same time, he became acquainted with the new ministry ahead of him. Upon graduation from school, the aforementioned hieromonk Lavrenty tested him. If, after testing, the chosen one was found worthy, then he received the assigned letter from the saint and, having learned to conduct church services, left for his place of service. This is how the saint cared about choosing worthy shepherds. If one of the persons chosen by the parishioners turned out to be unworthy of the great rank, then the saint rejected such a person.

Given the vastness of Siberia and the difficulty of travel, Saint Innocent often had to ordain priests not only for his Irkutsk diocese, but also for the neighboring Tobolsk. For many proteges it was much closer to go to Irkutsk for initiation than to Tobolsk. But Saint Innocent did this at the request and agreement of Metropolitan Anthony of Tobolsk.

About confession, communion and services

St. cared a lot. Innocent on the beauty of God's service. Before him, there were often no services on Sundays and holidays, or they took place at inconvenient times; The residents of Irkutsk complained to the saint about this, and he zealously eradicated these disorders. The saint ordered that priests in the city of Irkutsk not celebrate the liturgy too early. He ordered that on holidays the gospel be announced for the liturgy at 9 o'clock in the morning, and on simple days - at 7 and a half.

Saint Innocent also ordered that the priests of his diocese should not perform religious services in other people’s parishes, unless absolutely necessary. Only for confession was it allowed to accept everyone who came, even from other parishes. Everyone was obliged to receive communion in his parish church, and if he was at confession in another parish, then his spiritual father gave him a letter of release, certifying that he was at confession and worthy to receive the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

The saint paid special attention to the large number who evaded confession. In Irkutsk alone in 1722, the number of people who did not go to confession reached 420 people. The saint could not ignore this. The perpetrators were instructed to strictly follow the decrees of the Church.

In general, the holy primate of Irkutsk was a zealous shepherd of the subordinate diocese, an experienced organizer of church life in the remote region of vast Siberia. From this point of view, the saint’s instructions given to priest Daniil Ivanov, the “zakaschik”, or in our opinion the dean, are especially remarkable.

“Give you an order (deanery) Overseas (Trans-Baikal) throughout the Selenginsky district, and in action act on these points:

1. You should go around the churches in your order and look at the entire deanery of the church and over the priests and over the entire clergy, namely: they would not riot, they would not make noise in the streets or in the church drunks; Do they not drink wine in taverns and so on according to the addition of the Regulations on Priests?

2. Send out His Majesty’s decrees, and to send them out, send sextons and sextons alternately in your order, if there are no quick and good fellow travelers, and take carts for sextons and sextons from church to church.

3. To you, the priest, to give coronal remembrance to all the churches of your order, according to the Rules of the Holy Apostles and Holy Fathers and according to the decrees of His Majesty; and if it is far away, then order others; collect duties as usual without excess; also give decrees to sextons and sextons according to the decree of the Right Reverend with the collection of duties; in applications for places it would be stated whether he would be scolded (that is, whether he would receive a salary) or whether he would eat from income, and that he was a kind and not suspicious person.

4. You should collect data from all churches of your order every day

According to the report card, salary money is without excess. If chapels are resumed by decree, these salaries must be collected and given back.

5. If someone gives you a report against a priest or a clerk, you should look; If there is any important matter, send an order to the Irkutsk Bishop's office for a decision, and if there are unimportant matters, such matters should be decided by yourself according to the rules and regulations, without any pretense (that is, without any connivance).

6. Report your decision on the case to the order.

7. Deliver metric notebooks and confessional records from all churches.

8. To ensure that there are no unregistered clergy in the area and, if there are any, to bring them to the Right Reverend.

9. Monitor to see if there are schismatics and, if they turn out to be, report.

10. Do not act beyond the right granted by the instructions, and perform the duties of the office diligently and conscientiously.

11. On paper, take ink from all churches in proportion to how much comes out; Likewise, the scribe should assign a ruble from each church, and not determine any more.

12. Distribute the carts among the priests and the clerics and collect money from them in one amount, after considering the parish, from whom more is due, from whom less, so that no one is offended; when any decrees come, then take from the amount collected without excess and send it where it should be.”

Saint Innocent's short stay at the Irkutsk See was marked by his continuous concerns for the welfare of the flock entrusted to him and his tireless labors. He himself set an example for everyone of a strict pious life and demanded that the clergy also serve as an example for their flock. But it was difficult for the saint to fight some of the vices that plagued the Siberian clergy. The vice of drunkenness was especially strong among him. Often the priests “were strong and brave to drink” in the homes of parishioners. Such shepherds even allowed themselves indecent acts in the temple of God. “In churches,” say documents of that time, “such priests sometimes scold, sometimes fight; The friends and evil priests in the church and altar curse, curse and make the house of God a den of thieves.” Many priests followed their gluttony, wandered drunkenly through the streets, lay in taverns; wandering the streets, making outrageous noise, going to sleep on the road, blaspheming, fighting.

The attention of the spiritual authorities has long been drawn to this. Back in 1702, a Council was convened in Tobolsk regarding such atrocities. Here rules were issued against drunkenness of priests and other parables. One of them subjects the guilty to strict liability: “If a priest appears in immeasurable drunkenness, or a deacon, or a sexton and a sexton, he is subject to the bishop’s penalty, as an offense to the world, but by the third punishment he will be alien to the priesthood.”

Saint Innocent tried by all means to eradicate drunkenness; he put the perpetrators on trial.

Once rumors reached the saint that the guard of one church with the church key was in a drinking house and there, drunk, got into a fight with others. The saint demanded the culprit to appear and admonished him. When he confessed everything, the saint ordered him to be kept locked in the monastery bakery so that he could sow flour, and then to be released, taking a receipt from him - henceforth not to carry the church key with him to the inn and to live soberly.

The saint tried not only by punishment, but most often by exhortation and his wise words to correct his subordinates.

Since 1729, the military church of the Yakut regiment came under the jurisdiction of the Irkutsk archpastor. The saint was informed that the regimental priest, Hieromonk Theophan of Kaparsky, was leading a very drunken life and was not fulfilling his duties. Even the days of Holy Week did not stop him. The saint turned to him with a touching, purely fatherly admonition: “Honorable Father Theophan! You do not deserve such admonition from us, but rather deserve dishonor. However, we are writing to you. How are you not ashamed that you are called by the Lord God for the whole world to offer a holy sacrifice and shepherd the flock of His verbal sheep, for which you will be tortured and give an answer on the day of terrible testing, and you yourself do not hold that title, but you constantly drink and become hopelessly drunk? , but you don’t correct your affairs, you fix many idle indecencies. Is this the priest's business? Now we are writing this to you, admonishing you in a fatherly manner so that you improve. If you do not give up your vices, then know that with dishonor you will be changed from the regiment, called to us for judgment and you will receive what is worthy of your deeds. But please, correct yourself.”

The saint tried with all his might to eradicate this illness of the spiritual shepherds of the people. For this reason, he demanded that parishioners be careful in their election of future priests, choose worthy ones, and not those who “supervise the innkeepers.” “For this sake,” the saint said in one of his teachings to the shepherds, “they deserve to know their honor and guard it like the apple of their eye, so that light does not turn into darkness and glory into dishonor.”

Sermon and teaching

The saint carefully ensured that there were no strife and strife among the clergy. And in the then state of the Siberian Church, such cases actually sometimes occurred, as can be seen from the following.

The noble son Nikita Varlaamov, with royal permission, built a monastery in Nerchinsk in 1709 at his own expense. In accordance with the royal charter, Nikita was elevated to the rank of abbot and named Pancratius. In this letter it was said that “the abbots should not know the peasants, they should know only the Church of God.” The management of the monastic property after Pankratius was to pass to one of the laity. This caused discontent among the brethren and little respect for the newly elected abbot after Pankratius - Hieromonk Nathanael. Some of the brethren allowed themselves to scold the new abbot; quarrels and abuse, self-will and disobedience in the monastery were incessant. Nathanael had to personally ask Saint Innocent to put a limit to such unrest with his holy authority. The saint did not remain deaf to Nathanael’s requests and sent the following message to the Nerchinsk monastery: “Decree of our bishops of the Nerchinsk Assumption Monastery to the monks, investors and peasants. It is known to our bishops that it happened from reliable persons, and especially from that monastery abbot Nathanael, who last year, at our request, and by the grace of the All-Holy Spirit, through our regularity, was promoted to you as abbot, that from the monks and Beltsy reproachful, idle words are inflicted on him ; Likewise, in many cases and monastic works, which happen for the general monastic benefit, disobedience is practiced. For this reason, we fatherly exhort and command you, so that you obey abbot Nathanael, like your father and superior, in everything and act in vain without his commands and do not quarrel among yourself, like animals, under the unblessing of God and ours. If you repair things in a contrary way, and if he makes a petition against you in the future, then he will be taken to Irkutsk to answer according to the decrees of Her Imperial Majesty. May the God of peace and love be with you and our unworthy blessing.”

The saint cared no less about ordinary lay people. Encouraging priests to teach their spiritual children, the saint himself often and repeatedly addressed his flock with words of teaching. In his sermons, he menacingly armed himself against vices and meekly exhorted his listeners to fulfill the commandments of God, and the saint’s call did not go unanswered. His wise and fatherly words sank deeply into the hearts of his listeners. Many people flocked to listen to his teachings. The word of the saint corrected and supported many on the path of life, amidst troubles and adversity. For more than 200 years, the legend of the eloquent heartfelt teachings of Blessed Innocent has been preserved. Many people copied these teachings.

Let us dwell on some of the thoughts of the saint, which he conveyed in his teachings to the flock; Let's see where he led his verbal herd. From here we will see how simply, clearly and vitally he taught the believers.

This world is fleeting; man on earth is a temporary guest; the end for everyone is death. “As we are blind, so we are blinded by the eyes of our souls by the charms of this world, we do not see the true path how to come to the true Sun - the Light of Christ, because this world seduces us and promises us much life; promises us gold, but will take away heavenly blessings from us; There is nothing more than gold, unless it is good, because there is more of this world on earth. Worms are found in herbs, and in the night they appear as bright as adamants (that is, diamonds), but if you touch them with your hand, they are nothing but dust. So is every man: even if he rises for the height of his family, for the beauty of his face, for the strength of his strength, for the abundance of wealth, he will see dust and earth and a worm for himself, according to the words of David: I am a worm, and not a man (Ps. 21:7) , also the being of the tree is replaced by decay: rotten wood, but in a dark place the light of life is seen: if you look and see exactly the decay and the earth... In the same way, the laity, who are attached to earthly things: if a person applies the thought to food and drink, that he will be rewarded with the belly, blood and dust; If a person applies diligence to the purchases and trades of this world, what will the merchant acquire for himself? Nothing, just vanity; but from our treasures and wealth we will take nothing, just a bitch and a shroud. And if a person gets married and has children, marries a son and gives his daughter in marriage and lives a hundred years or more, then what? Death; and after death it will acquire corruption..."

“O wise Solomon, you say: there is nothing that endures forever, and a person living in this vain world, flattered by the acquisitions of this world, says this: “It is good for us to be here.” They don't know what they're doing. What good is there in this fickle world? Everything in this world is changeable; for whoever lives today rots in the grave in the morning; Now he is healthy, like Moses, but in the morning he is in great pain, like Job; now in honor and glory, and in the morning in prison and imprisonment; Today he cares about riches that he cannot count, like the rich man of the Gospel, but on the morning he hungers for a single grain, like Lazarus, and does not find it; today in freedom, and in the morning in captivity; today in joy, and in the morning in sadness; today he rules and commands, in the morning he expires and dies.”

One should not become attached to wealth, for it leads to destruction. “Because you keep your wealth for indecent things - for gluttony and drunkenness and unclean fornication, for the sake of your wealth they will not allow you into heaven. And your same riches will free you from torment if you begin to give alms.”

The saint touchingly exhorts to give alms. “You should be merciful to the requests of the poor, when they cry out to you: “For Christ’s sake, give alms to the poor”; and be merciful to their request. They are not asking you for any great gift; but they only ask for a single penny or a small piece of bread, for God’s sake. Be gracious; for that mercy you yourself will receive mercy from God... If we give alms to the poor, God will give it to you in the next world, and whoever gives more, God gives more to him, and whoever gives less, gives less to him. Almsgiving is an acquisition for eternity: through it the believer receives the Kingdom of Heaven. I pray to you, my beloved, that we may receive the Kingdom of Heaven. How can I get it? 1) Give food to the hungry, 2) give drink to the thirsty, 3) receive the strange, 4) clothe the naked, 6) visit the weak, 6) go to prison, 7) follow, bury the dead in hedgehogs. With these virtues we will receive the Kingdom of Heaven.”

The saint advised that the practice of these virtues be especially timed to coincide with great holidays.

“Favorites! Do not be unfaithful in word and life, confess in word that the Lord has truly risen, and through life you will return in doing good deeds, giving alms and maintaining love. And if anyone creates love, let him clothe the poor, and not decorate his flesh with vanity, as we do now, we adorn ourselves with vestments; What kind of holiday are we waiting for, the Resurrection of the Lord, or some other holiday, then we prepare for ourselves good caftans, dressing mittens, decent hats, red boots; It would be better for us to prepare for the holidays with good deeds.”

In one of his teachings, the saint clearly and simply set out the rules of pious life.

“Listen, beloved, behold, Christ the Lord and Mary, His Mother, His holy being, has chosen to deal with sinners (because the Blessed Virgin fulfilled the law relating to sinful newborn babies and sacrificed two dove chicks). Likewise, brothers, let us learn to cleanse our souls with holy repentance and go to prayer in the house of God and offer what is needed. Bring candles and prosphora, and whoever does not have this, come to church for prayer with a contrite heart, with tears of repentance. First of all, fear God, love Him with all your soul and heart and thought, and honor the Most Pure Mother of God and all the saints, and come leisurely to the Church of God for Vespers, and Matins, and Mass at the beginning, and listen to the Divine singing with attention in silence; and don’t leave the church until vacation. If you are far from church, or it is not timely, then you can correct your rule at home, singing and bowing according to your strength, and not being lazy, so that you will not be barren, like a dry tree. And if you create the rule without laziness, then you will receive a great reward from God and remission of sins. Celebrate holidays spiritually, and not physically, have mercy on the poor, and in church give candles and prosphora to the best of your ability; Give your slaves rest from work on holidays; Celebrate the holidays not with gluttony and drunkenness, but with prayer and purity. Live meekly and in Christ have unfeigned love for every Christian... Honor the priests as God's servants, and give honor to all churchmen, and love your enemy, and pray to God for them, and love all Orthodox Christians as you do yourself, do not envy your friend , do not offend anyone, do not give money in exchange for money, honor your father and mother, visit the sick, help the needy, bring what is needed in prisons and chains, feed the poor according to your strength, give water and clothing, for you put everything in the hand of God, do not despise widows, Above all, flee from fornication and live with your wives according to the law. Be clean on Wednesday and Friday and Sunday. Honor the feasts of the Lord and the Most Pure Mother of God and all the saints honestly, and teach your children and servants the fear of God, keep them from drunkenness; stay away from theft and all evil, and in the Church of God tell your children to go to services all day long, and especially on holidays... If you happen to sin, at the instigation of the devil, then quickly confess to your spiritual father, so that the devil does not take root in your soul, and Let death not find you without repentance. And most of all, be humble, not arrogant, don’t talk idle, avoid bad conversations, don’t reproach or annoy a friend... in the Church of God stand in prayer with fear, never speak to anyone and don’t think evil in your heart, but for sure say: Lord, have mercy on me.”

The saint shows his listeners examples by following which they can be saved.

“Let us remember the lives of the saints, even if we are lazy, how they pleased God - did they please God with ugly laughter or idle talk? Not anything, but good deeds. Thus we are also taught to remain silent and patient and to abstain from evil deeds. And the holy fathers, husbands and wives, did not come down from heaven, but were also born on earth and have a body from the earth, just like us.

They also had temptation from demons; but I defeat the devil. They are not much of a poisoner, like us; I don’t get drunk on wine, because we are doing evil... What were we doing? They worked for God with all their hearts, endured torment and temptation for the name of Christ.”

Above all the saints, the Mother of God immeasurably rises, the highest of heaven and the purest of the lordships of the sun, the Intercessor of the sinful world. Saint Innocent says about the Lady of the world: “She is the Mother not only of the Son and God, but also of all of us Orthodox. Mother to Your Son according to the nature of humanity, Mother to us by mercy and by intercession and intercession. Like a dear mother, she is always merciful to her natural children: she nourishes me, warms and clothes me, lifts me up; Even if the children are annoying, she forgives everything and graciously tolerates all their infirmities. Likewise, the Virgin Mary feeds us with the bread of Her mercy, waters us with the milk of her bounty, warms us with the robe of Her covering, clothes our nakedness with a wedding robe; falling into the pit of sins, lifting up His help with His hand, He strengthens Him with the rod of His affirmation. And when we repent after a sin, She quickly forgives and bows God to forgiveness with Her prayers. She endures all our infirmities, as if she knows our efforts. In the same way, as a merciful Mother, flow to Her with boldness and hope, and with warm prayers, praying to Her with fervent tears.”

Saint Innocent called his flock to the heights of Christian perfection, but their lives were very low. Cases of violation of chastity and marital fidelity were especially frequent in Siberia. In his teachings, the saint warned his flock against these vices. Thus, explaining the parable of the prodigal son, the saint says: “And that evil custom still exists in the world. When a person comes of age, he will first look for a friend like himself; first they will become friends, and then they will begin to give advice and everyone will be disposed towards each other with carnal love, and not spiritual, and in that love they will learn to drink, and others will jump, dance, and then be proud, take covetousness and commit fornication. O lovers of fornication and uncleanness! Oh, insatiable abomination! Because all uncleanness not only darkens the heart, but also destroys the vision of the face. Hear what the apostle says: Flee fornication: for every sin that man commits is besides the body, but the fornicator sins in his own body (1 Cor. 6:18). And now almost everyone has fallen away from God, through pride and covetousness, through envy and evil drunkenness. All of these served the devil and all of them turned aside and were without keys. Everything has turned from humility into pride, from alms into covetousness, from love into hatred, from abstinence into gluttony, from sobriety into drunkenness. What's more disgusting than a drunk man? He wants to hide, as if he is not drunk, but lies as if he were dead. Nothing worse than a drunkard; from his mouth comes the stench of evil, relaxation of the body and lack of self-control, tears flowing from his eyes, trembling in his hands. A drunk man promises a lot, does not keep mysteries, destroys reason and beauty, and other things that happen from drunkenness, such as abuse and bickering, and also shamelessness and inability to restrain one’s words.”

With his orders, the saint tried to put a limit to the disordered carnal life of some of his flock. He demanded from priests that marriages be concluded according to established laws. Those who did not do this were subject to monetary penalties, but those who sincerely repented received forgiveness. Such was the saint - with severity he combined meekness and gentleness. Irkutsk Cathedral Archpriest Peter Grigoriev, convicted of facilitating the wedding of an illegal marriage, was deprived of his archpriesthood and demoted for a year to the ranks of ordinary priests. But after sincere repentance, the saint forgave him and elevated him to his former dignity. Many examples of such meekness of the saint can be given.

There were very few churches in Siberia at that time. In the new diocese there were a total of 33 churches and 4 monasteries. Many villages were at great distances from churches. Therefore, most of the believers could not perform exactly all church rituals. There were many who did not receive baptism for a long time; marriages took place without the blessing of the Church. Being himself a strict zealot for piety, the saint zealously and tirelessly cared for the increase of piety between pastors and flocks, between laity and monastics. Lacking funds, he was not able to build new churches, but he allowed the construction of chapels. Due to the fact that new antimensions, for an unknown reason, were not sent to the Tobolsk diocese, the saint even took an extra antimension from the Holy Trinity Selenga Monastery. In Irkutsk he consecrated two churches in 1729.

In one sermon on the consecration of the church, the saint says: “But now if anyone wishes to build a holy church, then do not build the walls alone, but also decorate the inside with vestments, vessels, and most of all with prudent people, God-fearing priests.”

Due to the remoteness of the churches of God in Siberia, there were many people who, until they were 30 years old or more, did not go to church and did not observe the decrees of the Church. The saint himself spoke and instructed spiritual pastors to speak in churches about the need, to the best of their ability, to go to the temple of God, about fasting, about communion, explained the meaning of the seven sacraments, eloquently depicted the end of the world, spoke about the resurrection of the dead, about the Last Judgment of God , about the future bliss of the righteous and the fierce torment of sinners, and thereby encouraged repentance.

In his sermon on the Presentation of the Most Holy Theotokos into the temple, the saint says: “She, the Most Pure One, from birth of three years, being sinless and pure, always remained in the church, but we are sinners, unclean spirits, not only from three years of birth, but also up to thirty years of age. “We don’t go to church and we always commit sins and don’t repent.”

Orders

Insisting that everyone fulfill the decrees of the Church, the saint demanded that those who suddenly die from any cause should not otherwise be honored with burial in churches, unless after a strict inquiry whether they had been to confession during the year preceding their sudden death and holy communion. If it turned out to be the opposite, then they, as those who did not deserve the honor of the Church, were buried outside the city. The same rule applied to those who died without proper guidance. The saint understood that without strict measures it was impossible to obtain the desired fruits.

Strongly loving piety and splendor, Saint Innocent opposed all kinds of disorder and disorder in the Church. Having learned about various troubles in the Trans-Baikal region in 1728, the saint sent Abbot Pachomius to inspect the churches and, if necessary, carry out an inquiry and investigation. The following year, 1729, the saint himself surveyed his diocese in winter along the left bank of the Angara River. How necessary such concerns were for one’s flock can be seen from the following.

The saint was informed that a lama lived with a certain John Shunkov. The latter planned to build an idol, and Shunkov assisted the lama in this construction. Summoned for questioning, Shunkov openly admitted that he helped in the construction of the shrine. The lama told him that he would pray to his god. Then it was decided: in the presence of the people, to punish the superstitious Shunkov as a warning to others.

By decree of 1723, the chapels were closed, but then it was allowed to reopen them, however, only with the permission of the bishop. Priest Grigory Smagin, without asking for the blessing of Saint Innocent, arbitrarily allowed the chapel to be reopened across the Angara River in 1729 and hired a convict sexton to work for it. The same priest voluntarily opened another chapel near the village of Evseevoy. The saint ordered that this priest be punished, that a five ruble fine be collected from him, and that the chapel be abolished.

The saint loved true asceticism and valued people who labored for the glory of God. The saint received special attention from the pious rector of the Holy Trinity Selenga Monastery, Archimandrite Misail, the rector of the Nerchinsk Monastery, Abbot Nathanael, and the saint's confessor, Hieromonk Cornelius.

At that time, grain shortages occurred more than once in Siberia. The saint himself always prayed before the Lord for an abundance of earthly fruits and demanded the same from the shepherds. At the time of the coming disaster, he offered up special prayers for the aversion of God’s righteous judgment. “In the city of Irkutsk,” the saint wrote in one of his letters in 1728, “fornication has increased among people, for which the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.” And indeed, there was a drought in the entire Irkutsk diocese that year. The saint ordered all churches to offer prayers to the Lord for the sending of rain. The prayers of the holy archpastor were heard: at the end of July there was heavy rain, and the terrible danger of famine disappeared. The next year, on the contrary, the summer was unusually rainy, and the saint again ordered prayer. In the following years, 1730 and 1731. the bishop again makes the same order.

“According to our desire,” says this true shepherd of the Church of Christ, “for the common good of all Orthodox Christians, we are commanded, together with all the city priests in the cathedral, to perform a prayer service for all good things to the Giver of the All-Generous God, following the Breviary for rain, singing according to the Divine Liturgy, and in the future throughout these spring days, both in the cathedral and in all the city churches, to alternate priests every day.”

Thus, during the few years of his priesthood, Blessed Innocent did not cease to pray to the Lord for the well-being of the flock entrusted to him.

Completion of a short journey

The saint had to endure many hardships and insults. He wanted to abolish the right of taxation, at least in the monastic estates, because he could not see how the tax farmers were feeding the people, especially newly converted foreigners. His desire did not contradict the law, but tax farmers rebelled against this. They insisted that they be allowed to sell wine not only in the monastery villages, but even near the monasteries. To resolve the tax farming case, it was necessary to go to the capital, because in Siberia it was almost impossible to achieve a fair solution. But he had neither the time nor the means to do this.

The saint, during his short stay at the Irkutsk see, which he occupied for 4 years and 3 months, laid a solid foundation for the success of the faith of Christ in the Irkutsk region. He was a true shepherd of his flock, a zealous teacher of goodness and truth, a planter of the Christian faith among the Mongols and Buryats, an eradicator of superstitions and false teachings, and a disseminator of enlightenment in the wild Siberian country.

The whole life of Saint Innocent was difficult and joyless. But he endured the most hardships and hardships in Siberia. Here he walked a truly narrow and sorrowful path. Having great humility, the blessed one saw God’s special discretion on himself: therefore he did not grumble, did not ask to be moved to another department. The saint loved to retire for prayer to the cave that the first founder of the Ascension Monastery, Gerasim, dug for himself; The holy shepherd loved to offer his prayers over the grave of Gerasim. Every night the saint read the works of the holy fathers or composed teachings for his flock. Often at night, leaving his cell, he went to the main church of the Ascension Monastery and prayed to it from all four sides. Commanding the monks to observe the monastic rule, the saint himself strictly followed it.

Saint Innocent sometimes retired to the monastery village of Malaya Blanca, located about fifteen versts from Irkutsk. Taking a break from the labors of management, the saint did not remain idle here either: he took part in field work. In his home life the saint was simple. His clothing consisted of a hair shirt, over which he wore a cassock made of elk skin and a leather belt. How gentle the saint was is best seen from the following.

The aforementioned Archimandrite Anthony Platkovsky, who caused much harm to the blessed one, was amazed by the piety and kindness of Saint Innocent. He was accused of embezzling monastic money. He had no reason to go to Beijing. But the kindly saint gave him the means for this trip.

A person close to the saint was the teacher of the Mongolian school Lapsan. The saint talked with him several times. These conversations, as well as the exploits of Innocent, of which Lapsan was an eyewitness, made a strong impression on him. After the death of the holy bishop, he converted to Christianity along with his entire household.

Continuous labors broke the already weak health of the saint. A native of the Chernigov province, he could hardly get used to the harsh nature of Siberia. Sorrows, grave insults, long journeys, a strict ascetic life - all this upset his health. At first he developed severe headaches, then other illnesses and ailments joined this.

In September and October 1731, the saint was already lying sick and could not perform divine services. He served for the last time on Sunday, October 3.

During his illness, Saint Innocent thanked all those who served him; In case of recovery, he promised to reward everyone from his own hands. He was especially concerned about the construction of a stone church in the Ascension Monastery instead of the previous wooden one, which was extremely dilapidated. The saint then repeatedly expressed regret that they delayed the payment of his salary, of which the first thousand rubles had long been promised to him for the construction of this temple. In the event of his death, he commanded the brethren to build a temple using monastic funds, the preservation and increase of which he cared so much about. Meanwhile, the disease was getting worse.

On November 24, the saint paid everyone their salaries, and ordered the rest of the money to be counted and put in sealed bags; He gave his fur coat to Governor Paisius for his services. On November 25, he asked the brethren and clergy of the city to pray for him. The Irkutsk Church began to fervently pray for the recovery of its archpastor, but the Lord judged otherwise. On the morning of Saturday, November 27, 1731, the saint peacefully departed to the Lord, having only about 50 years of age, but exhausted by the worries and sorrows of his difficult life.

The congregation mourned the death of their father and teacher. With appropriate triumph, his honorable body was buried in the Tikhvin Church of the Ascension Monastery.

Miracles Revealed and Glorification

Many miracles flowed from the holy relics of the glorious saint of God. Let's mention just a few.

In 1770, Pelageya Sudeikina, who lived in Irkutsk, became seriously ill with a fever. During her illness, she had a vision: the patient imagined that she was standing in the Tikhvin church, and the saint was performing Matins. She asked for blessings. The saint came out of the altar, blessed, then sent her and the bright young man a piece of artos; she tasted it and felt healthy. Wanting to thank her healer, Pelageya asked what prayer to read to him? The saint came out to her a second time, unfolded a scroll in front of her, in which it was written: “My merciful mentor, treasure of compassion, teacher of orthodoxy, praise of bishops, helpless intercessor, our father, hierarch, pray to God for us!”

Having awakened, Pelageya felt completely healthy and immediately stood up.

Yakut merchant Pavel Lebedev broke his leg. His illness became so severe that he began to prepare for death. On the night of January 3, 1785, the saint entered the room where the sick man was lying with a staff in his hand and said: “Ask for help from Innocent, who is in Irkutsk.”

Lebedev woke up, but then fell asleep again, not attaching much importance to the vision. The saint appeared again and, reproaching the sick man for his lack of faith, struck the floor with his rod. Lebedev, having awakened, saw the mark of the blow on the floor. He began to believe. Before morning, the saint appeared to the sick man for the third time, and the terrible pain was replaced by a slight itching. In the morning, Lebedev could already walk without a crutch and hurriedly headed to the coffin of his healer.

In 1786, Archpriest Jacob Zagoskin noticed that his vision began to weaken. He suffered for a long time and finally stopped seeing altogether. Hearing about the miracles that Saint Innocent performed, the patient constantly turned to him with prayer for help. One day, sitting in a chair, he fell into a light doze. Suddenly Saint Innocent appeared before him in full vestments, as if he were resting in a tomb. The saint placed his right hand on the head of the sick man and commanded him to call on his name more often. After a little time, the archpriest began to slightly disassemble the objects around him, and then began to see everything clearly.

Two people arrived at the Ascension Monastery, where the relics of St. Innocent are buried, to take a walk. Entering the church, they stopped in front of the shrine of the saint of God and began to blaspheme: one took the saint by the hand, the other by the leg. The Lord soon punished them for their insolence. When they were returning home, the droshky in which they were both riding fell, and one of the blasphemers broke his arm, and the other his leg.

In the summer of 1783, a fire occurred in the Ascension Monastery. The wooden Tikhvin Church, under which the relics of Saint Innocent rested, was already engulfed in flames. The people expected with horror that the holy relics would perish in the fire, and asked Bishop Michael for permission to take them out of the cave. The bishop responded to this request: “If the late Innocent pleased God, then for the sake of his incorruptible relics the Almighty will save the church.”

And immediately the fire began to weaken. The Tikhvin church remained intact, only with the walls burnt on the outside.

In 1796, a feeble-minded woman was brought from Yekaterinburg to Irkutsk. Who she was, what her name was - no one knew. She fell into a serious illness. Kind people took her in. While ill, she asked her benefactors for money. “What do you need money for?” - they asked her. “I need to go across the river, light candles where those dressed in black dresses live and the old man is buried.” They gave her money, she crossed the Angara, and asked to show her the way to the Ascension Monastery. At this time, the liturgy was celebrated in the monastery. Throughout the service, the sick woman fervently prayed before the icon of the Mother of God and often approached the place where the saint’s tomb was located. Two days later, the feeble-minded woman not only received healing from her illness, but even began to think completely sensibly. Her mental disorder was completely gone. She told who she was and where she was from, adding that the saint appeared to her in a dream and ordered her to confess and partake of the Holy Mysteries. He told her that soon, on such and such a day, she would die. Indeed, on the day appointed by the saint, she died.

The holy body of the saint, buried under the altar of the Tikhvin Church in the Ascension Monastery, did not remain hidden for long. Around 1765, on the occasion of the reconstruction of the temple, the tomb with the relics of the saint was opened. The coffin was completely intact, even the velvet with which it was upholstered was not damaged by dampness. The holy relics turned out to be completely incorruptible and emitted a fragrance.

In 1800, senators Rzhevsky and Levashev, who were on an audit in the Irkutsk province, reported to Emperor Paul I about the incorruptibility of the relics of Saint Innocent and about the miracles that flowed from the relics of the saint of God. In the same year, in accordance with the wishes of the sovereign, the Holy Synod ordered two bishops - Benjamin of Irkutsk and Justin, vicar of Kazan - to carry out an accurate inquiry into this matter. A rigorous study of clergy and lay persons, carried out at the beginning of 1801, fully confirmed the message of the senators. On March 5, the bishops made a report to the Holy Synod, in which they expressed their opinion: “So that this first Irkutsk Bishop Innocent can be numbered as a saint, revered and glorified by the Church; his body is incorruptible, like true relics and worthy of being declared and opened for public veneration.” Two years later, the Holy Synod demanded from the Irkutsk bishop new information regarding the recognition of the holiness of the saint of God. The bishop replied that there had been no change in the incorruptible body of the saint during these two years, that the zeal of the inhabitants was increasing, that new healings and apparitions of the saint had occurred, a description of which, among 24, the bishop sent to the Holy Synod. After this, by a synodal decision, Saint Innocent was canonized among the saints revered by the entire Russian Church, and the day of his celebration was set as November 26 (December 9). The definition was approved by Emperor Alexander I on October 28, 1804, and announced to the public on December 1.

Such was the life of Saint Innocent, such were his works and exploits, such was his glorification. Let us also glorify this glorious saint of the Russian Church and, together with all the faithful, call

Troparion to the Saint, tone 3

O most luminous lamp of the Church, illuminating this country with the rays of your goodness, and glorifying God with the many healings that flow to your race with faith, we pray to you, Holy Hierarch Father Innocent, protect this city with your prayers from all troubles and sorrows.

Kontakion, tone 4

Let us praise the integrity of the same-name shepherd, the preacher of faith in the Mongolian pagans, the glory and adornment of the Irkutsk flock, with love: for he is the guardian of this country and the prayer book for our souls.

Innocent, Bishop of Irkutsk, Saint

Saint Innocent, in the world John, came from the noble family of the Kulchitskys, or Kolchetskys. In the middle of the 17th century, the saint’s parents and some of his relatives moved from Volyn to Little Russia, to the Chernigov province, due to famine and the severity of Polish rule. Many people from this family held spiritual positions and were distinguished by their piety. Nothing is known about the saint's parents. Only the legend has survived that they were pious and God-fearing people.

Saint John was born around 1680. When he reached adolescence, around 1695 he was sent to school at the Kiev Epiphany Monastery. Here the holy youth studied rhetoric, philosophy, theology and languages: Latin, Greek and Polish. The school at the Kiev Epiphany Monastery, renamed the academy in 1701, was then the best breeding ground for enlightenment and piety in Southwestern Rus'. At that time, many famous men taught there. The rector of the academy was the learned Archimandrite Joasaph Krokovsky, literature was taught by Stefan Yavorsky, later Metropolitan of Ryazan and locum tenens of the patriarchal throne. At the same time, the most famous preacher of the reign of Peter I, Feofan Prokopovich, was a mentor at the academy.

Blessed John diligently studied science; Many books have come down to us, copied by the hand of the saint or belonging to him. Saint John especially zealously studied literature and read Western Russian preachers, since he subsequently desired to strive in preaching the word of God. He loved no less to read the works of the fathers and teachers of the Church and other edifying books. Prayer and study of the word of God - these were the activities of Blessed John during his years of study. But the saint was not content with this: his heart had long been burning with love for God. He had long dreamed of devoting himself entirely to serving the Lord. External difficult circumstances prompted him to accelerate his intention. The death of his parents, the plague that then appeared in Kyiv, and finally, probably, Mazepa’s persecution of the entire Kulchitsky family, presented Blessed John with even more futility and vanity of this life. Therefore, having completed his course of study at the Kyiv Academy in 1706, he accepted monasticism and joined the brethren of the Kiev Caves Monastery with the name of Innocent.

However, Blessed Innocent did not labor for long in the Kyiv Lavra. In 1710, he was summoned to Moscow by Stefan Yavorsky to teach at the Moscow Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy. This academy was located in the Zaikonospassky Monastery. Here Saint Innocent taught literature and taught his students the art of church orbit. In 1714 the saint was appointed prefect of the academy. His duty was to monitor the order of the internal and external life of the pupils, and in addition he also taught moral theology and philosophy. He held this position until 1719. This year he was summoned with the rank of cathedral hieromonk to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra and assigned to the ship “Samson”, which was stationed in Reval. Soon he was transferred by chief hieromonk to the city of Abo. Occupying this position, the saint was the head of the naval hieromonks who served in the Finnish Corps, supervised their behavior, resolved misunderstandings and communicated about church needs with the Holy Synod. Since Saint Innocent, as part of his service, had to visit every ship every week, he was probably well known to the sovereign, who so loved the fleet he created.

But the Lord appointed His saint a new, higher ministry. He destined him to be an educator of the most remote outskirts of the Russian state - Eastern Siberia.

Siberia, conquered in the 80s of the 16th century, was slowly but continuously populated by Russian settlers. Along the banks of numerous rivers they built winter huts to collect tribute from foreigners, forts for military protection against their raids into the cities where the administration of the conquered region was concentrated. Along with the settlement of Russians across vast Siberia, the faith of Christ also spread: crosses or chapels were erected in winter huts, churches were built in forts, and churches and monasteries were built in cities. In 1620, the Siberian diocese was opened in the city of Tobolsk. But one bishop, of course, was not enough for a huge country, and the church life of Siberia throughout the 17th century presented a sad picture of flagrant disorder. There were not enough clergy, and many churches stood without singing; the monasteries lived without a charter, and the monks were such only in name. Among the believers, not excluding the clergy and monasticism, there were such vices and such licentiousness reigned that it is indecent to even describe. Siberia needed apostles of the faith of Christ.

In the middle of the 17th century, Russian settlers reached the border of the Chinese Empire, Lake Baikal and the Amur River. At that time, small fortresses were built there: in 1654 the Nerchinsky fort was built, in 1665 - Selengansky, both on the eastern side of Lake Baikal, and on the western side even earlier, in 1652, the Irkutsk settlement was founded to collect tribute from neighboring foreigners . Thanks to these Russian settlers, relations and clashes with China begin; From them the Orthodox Christian faith penetrates into China. In 1650, the Cossack ataman Ierofey Khabarov occupied the Chinese city of Albazin on the left bank of the Amur River. Having fortified themselves in Albazin and set up towns, the Cossacks stayed here for thirty-five years and from here they controlled the entire course of the Amur. But in 1685, the Chinese besieged 450 Cossacks who settled in Albazin with 15,000 troops and numerous artillery, and, having destroyed part of the Russians, captured the rest (about 300 people). The Chinese offered the captives a choice - either to return to their Siberian settlements, or to submit to the Chinese Bogdykhan. Of these, only 45 people with women and children became Chinese citizens. These captive Albazians were the seed of the Orthodox Russian Mission in China. When they left Albazin, they took with them from the fortress church poor church utensils with icons, including the image of St. Nicholas, and also forcibly carried away the priest Maxim Leontyev with them. The Russian captives were received very kindly by Bogdykhan Kangxi and were settled in the very capital of China - in Beijing, on the so-called “Birch Bark Tract”, in the north-eastern corner of the capital, near the city wall. (Bogdykhan Kangxi reigned from 1662 to 1722. He was a gentle sovereign who sympathized with Europeans. During his long reign, the Catholic mission made great strides in China.) After a short time, Bogdykhan gave the captured Christians a Buddhist temple, which they converted into a chapel. The captives themselves were included in the honorable class of warriors. In 1696, the chapel was turned into a church in the name of St. Sophia the Wisdom of God, although it was usually called Nikolskaya after the name of the revered icon. The elderly Father Maxim worked zealously in a foreign land and continued his pastoral activities until his death, which followed in 1711 or 1712.

According to Metropolitan Philotheus of Tobolsk, the tireless “apostle of Siberia,” in 1715, with the consent of Bogdykhan, the first Russian Mission of ten persons was sent under the command of Archimandrite Hilarion Lezhaisky. Bogdykhan received the Mission kindly, gave it maintenance and allowed worship.

In 1718, the rector of the Mission, Archimandrite Hilarion, died. In his place, the Holy Synod appointed Saint Innocent. Even before his elevation to the rank of archimandrite, rumors reached the Synod that the Chinese Emperor Kangxi was inclined to convert to Christianity (this rumor later turned out to be incorrect). On this occasion, Metropolitan Philotheus of Tobolsk, on whom the Chinese Mission depended, wrote to the Siberian governor, Prince Gagarin, asking him to inform Stefan Yavorsky: “When appointing a kind and wise person to Beijing, it would be useful to honor him with the rank of bishop or archpastoral and the clergy send about fifteen people with him.”

The Holy Synod, having considered this matter, determined to send a bishop to Beijing, the capital of China, so that he could ordain priests and deacons. Saint Innocent, a man known for his piety and learning, was chosen as bishop of Beijing. It was decided to submit this determination to the discretion of Emperor Peter I. During the proceedings of this case, Archimandrite Theodosius of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra was appointed Bishop of Novgorod, and Saint Innocent was temporarily entrusted with the position of vicar of the Lavra.

On February 14, 1721, the Holy Synod reported to Emperor Peter I: “Should we consecrate Hieromonk Innokenty Kulchitsky, appointed to the Khin state (that is, to China), as bishop of Irkutsk and Nerchinsk for proximity to that state? and should it be separated from the Siberian diocese for more convenient treatment?

In a further report, Blessed Innocent asked to release the things necessary for worship and the required amount.

On March 5, 1721, Saint Innocent was consecrated bishop in St. Petersburg in the presence of the sovereign himself. But since, according to church rules, every bishop must be named according to his region, Blessed Innocent was named Bishop of Pereyaslavl on behalf of Pereyaslavl-Zalessky. The decree of the Holy Synod says that Innocent was ordained a bishop for “preaching the word of God and propagating for the sake of Orthodox Eastern piety the faith in the Khin state, where there had never been a bishop before.”

On April 19, 1721, the saint, together with two hieromonks, two deacons, 5 choristers and several ministers, left St. Petersburg for Moscow. In Moscow, the saint received a letter from the Senate, which stated, among other things, that upon his arrival in China he should not disclose there that he has the rank of bishop - and this so that there would not be any obstacle from the Jesuits, opponents of the Orthodox faith, who from ancient times had the custom of sowing the tares of strife and reproach among the wheat of Orthodoxy. If, by chance, one of the noble and high-ranking people there asked him about his rank, he could say that he had the rank of episcopacy so that he could ordain a priest and deacon when they were needed in place of the dead, and not for anything else. But even such a statement was ordered to be made with great caution.

Even before the saint left Russia, the authorities were already afraid of hostile actions on the part of the Chinese and especially on the part of the cunning Jesuits. These expectations were justified, but what the Holy Synod expected from Saint Innocent was also fulfilled. On the remote outskirts of the Russian state, the saint was a true shepherd, a bright light of Christ's teaching, who led many souls from the darkness of paganism to the Lord.

It took the saint about a year to reach the city of Irkutsk, where he had to wait for further orders from the Synod. The journey was very painful and difficult. Travelers faced many dangers. Harsh climate, unfamiliar places, lack of roads, wild animals, foreign nomads - Saint Innocent and his companions had to endure all this. They had to have gunpowder and guns with them. Finally, in March 1722, the saint and his retinue arrived in Irkutsk. The Irkutsk governor Poluektov immediately sent a letter from our government to Urga to Tushetkhan, the Mongol ruler, through whom letters were usually sent to the Chinese government from Russia.

Shortly before this time, in 1719, Emperor Peter I sent an embassy to Beijing to resolve issues of free trade between Russia and China. The captain of the Preobrazhensky Guards Regiment, Lev Izmailov, was appointed envoy. The instructions given to Izmailov demanded that the Chinese government not prevent visiting Russians from maintaining their faith, that it allow the construction of an Orthodox church and set aside a place for it. But Izmailov’s embassy was not successful: permission to build a second church was not given. At this time, news came to Beijing that 700 Mongols had crossed the Russian border. The Chinese government took advantage of this to stop negotiations with the Russian envoy: Izmailov was told that they would not give an answer to his proposals until the case about the fugitives was resolved. Izmailov was supposed to leave China in March 1721.

When Saint Innocent approached the Chinese border, at that time our envoy had already left China. Tushetkhan informed our government that with the letter of recommendation to the saint there was no letter from the Siberian governor to him, Tushetkhan, and in general the new Russian Mission could not be accepted before negotiations on the extradition of the fugitives had ended. The reason for this reluctance of the Chinese should be considered the envy of the Jesuits. In the letter, or letter of recommendation, sent from the Senate in the absence of Peter the Great, the saint was called “a spiritual person, Mr. Innocent Kulchitsky.” The Jesuits hastened to explain in a sense unfavorable to us what should be meant by the words “lord, spiritual person.”

A letter soon sent by the Tobolsk governor to Tushetkhan further complicated the already complicated relationship. According to custom, Innocent was called “great lord” in this letter. The Chinese government responded that Bogdykhan could not receive such a great and important person. Thus, the matter of sending the saint to China could not be brought to the desired end. The suspicion and isolation of the Chinese, the intrigues and envy of the Jesuits, the difficult historical conditions that the Russian state was then experiencing - it was the time of the Persian campaign (the Persian campaign took place in 1722. Emperor Peter I took personal part in it) - these were the main reasons that prevented the success of the Mission .

Meanwhile, the position of the saint, who was then living in the Trinity Selenga Monastery, was extremely difficult. He repeatedly appealed to the Synod for further orders:

“Where should I lay my head and finish the rest of my life as the Holy Governing Synod deems it appropriate? I humbly ask for a gracious decree on what I should do: should I sit in Selenginsk and wait for what I don’t know, or should I go back? And with what? They won't give the carts without a decree. And where? For the most part, foxes have ulcers at the edges (that is, for rest), but to this day I am not an imam, where to lay my head. I wander from yard to yard and from house to house, transiently.”

The position of the saint became more and more disastrous and difficult. Salaries began to be withheld and not given; letters could not be sent to Russia, since the Chinese intercepted them.

“What does the Holy Synod want us to do and where should we turn it? For I am very sad, not knowing the way, but I will go to it,” the saint wrote to the Synod.

Without receiving a salary, he himself and his retinue lived on the voluntary donations of Russian merchants; the retinue was engaged in fishing, the saint himself repaired his worn-out dress. The life of the officials of the Chinese Mission was meager and poor, but, rich in humility and patience, the saint set an example for everyone and consoled them with the hope of future reward. The only joy for Blessed Innocent was then to perform divine services in the Selenga Cathedral. But need forced him to move to the dacha of the Trinity Selenga Monastery. This dacha was located on the left bank of the Khilki River, opposite the village of Krasnoyarsk. In the church that was next to that dacha, the saint poured out his sorrow in prayers before the Lord; only one prayer supported the saint. Despite the difficult living conditions, the saint did not like to remain idle. In his free time from prayer, he painted icons. Many such icons, painted by his hand, were preserved in the temple of the village of Kunalei, to which Krasnoyarsk was assigned. At the same time, the saint preached the word of God to the Buryats and Mongols living around him, and greatly contributed to the establishment of the true faith of Christ among them. Therefore, the Church, remembering the saint, sings: “Rejoice, for the preaching of the Gospel, which you brought to the Mongolian tongues, has cruelly put to shame the deceit of human souls.” The saint lived in Selenginsk and at the dacha of the monastery for three years.

Meanwhile, changes have occurred in China. At the end of 1722, the elderly Bogdykhan of Kangxi died and his son Yun-zhen ascended the throne. The new sovereign was very averse to foreigners and Christians: he ordered that most of the Catholic missionaries be expelled from China, their churches turned into public houses, and he strictly forbade worship. This dislike of the Chinese sovereign towards Christians was now the main reason for the uncertain situation in which Saint Innocent found himself.

In August 1724, negotiations were resumed with Chinese commissioners who arrived in Selenginsk. But they refused to petition their government for the passage of Saint Innocent. “Now we cannot accept it until we report to Bogdykhan, and when there is a certain person from the All-Russian autocrat with the same powers as we have, and the agreement is made about everything we were sent for, then we will again (work) for this gentleman, having received instructions from our sovereign, whether he will be accepted or not.”

So the Chinese commissioners demanded, first of all, that an ambassador be sent to St. Petersburg; this took a lot of time.

At that time (February 14, 1725) a decree came from the Synod, which commanded the blessed saint to leave Selenginsk for Irkutsk and wait here for a new decree. Arriving in Irkutsk, the saint, with the consent of Metropolitan Anthony of Tobolsk, settled in the Ascension Monastery. Here the saint lived for almost a year, without intervening in the affairs of government, only ordaining henchmen on behalf of the Metropolitan of Siberia.

New adversities awaited the holy man at his new residence. The archimandrite of the Ascension Monastery was Anthony Platkovsky, an ambitious and very cunning man. The desire to become the head of the Beijing Mission prompted him, without considering the means, to pursue his goal. Platkovsky was distinguished by his unbridled temper and cruelty. But due to his distance from St. Petersburg and the patronage of certain people, he, not paying attention to the complaints of the oppressed, continued to commit injustice. Having learned about the arrival of Saint Innocent in Irkutsk, Metropolitan Anthony of Tobolsk and the governor Prince Dolgorukov asked the saint to sort out their dispute with Platkovsky, but the saint did not undertake this, since he considered himself not to have the right to sort out the misdeeds of an archimandrite who was not under his jurisdiction.

In April 1726, Ambassador Extraordinary Count Savva Vladislavich Raguzinsky arrived in Irkutsk from St. Petersburg. Count Raguzinsky was sent by Empress Catherine I after the death of Peter I in order to resolve controversial matters between Russia and China. Concerning Saint Innocent, the count was given the following decree of the Holy Synod: he should go with envoys to China if there is no obstacle to this from the Chinese side; if he was not allowed there, then Archimandrite Anthony was ordered to go with the count. According to this decree, Saint Innocent had to accompany the envoy to the border and generally act in accordance with his advice. The saint went to Selenginsk. But this time the Lord did not lead him to move beyond the Russian border. The envoy petitioned the Chinese authorities in writing for the passage of Saint Innocent to Beijing, but was unsuccessful. After a meeting with two ministers of Bogdykhan on the border river Bure, the envoy reported to St. Petersburg on August 31, 1726, “that the Chinese ministers who received him at the border did not allow Bishop Innokenty Kulchitsky to go there with him, the count, to China without the khan’s decree and he does not expect so that the Chinese will accept him." At the same time, Raguzinsky reported that, according to the Chinese ministers, Bogdykhan would never agree to accept such a great personage into China, since “their dad or khutukhta is called a great master.” This report from Raguzinsky was taken into account in St. Petersburg. The count’s proposal was also accepted to go to Beijing to Archimandrite Anthony, about whom he spoke with praise: living in Irkutsk, “he teaches children the Mongolian language and has been to Beijing and is a sober and not crazy person.” And so the Holy Synod commands Saint Innocent to remain in charge of the Irkutsk Ascension Monastery until a new decree is received. The unknown and uncertainty of the situation tormented the saint. The more time passed, the more difficulties and hardships he had to experience. But he patiently endured them, for he knew that without the will of God not a single hair could fall from a person’s head. Misfortune and hardship are the best path leading to eternal bliss. Saint Innocent endured them without a murmur.

However, the saint did not have to wait long for a new appointment: on August 26, 1727, he received a decree to become a bishop in Irkutsk. Until now, the Irkutsk Church was recognized only as a vicariate of the Tobolsk Metropolis. Now it was allocated to a special bishopric. What awaited the saint in his new career was not rest, not peace from his previous labors, but even more worries, even more adversity. It is enough to mention that his predecessors accepted his appointment to Irkutsk as a punishment and were very burdened by it. The saint did not think so. He was not looking for rest in earthly life, but for work.

Anthony of Platkovsky caused Saint Innocent much grief. Proud of his appointment to the Beijing Mission, he demanded from the saint money more than 1000 rubles from the amount of the Ascension Monastery, without having any right to do so. The saint replied that he could not send the required amount, since there was no such money in the monastery treasury. At the same time, it was discovered that Platkovsky himself, when he was the archimandrite of the Ascension Monastery in Irkutsk, squandered a lot of money. The arrogant archimandrite even threatened that he would complain to the Synod. But the matter ended with the fact that he was forced to come to terms and pay back the money he had wasted.

Such unfair claims of Platkovsky greatly troubled the saint, who at the same time was zealously involved in the affairs of his diocese. Ascending the archpastoral throne in Irkutsk, Saint Innocent was filled with zeal to serve for the benefit of his flock, to devote all his strength to his flock. He clearly foresaw that he would have a lot of work to do in his new ministry. The clergy in the new diocese was in the most pitiful position. Most of the clergy received almost no education. Ignorant shepherds were little different from their flock and could not be their spiritual leaders - instruct with an edifying word and attract with a good example. The children of the clergy then learned for the most part from their fathers, and they, having themselves received a meager education, could teach their children little. Insufficient preparation for the priesthood necessarily entailed various disorders and disturbances. Many priests had difficulty reading and, ashamed of their illiteracy, the signature of others explained with their weak eyesight that “he, the priest, is sorrowful.” There was nowhere to get new ministers of the Church, for they were elevated to priesthood from the lower ranks; from a sexton they made a deacon, and a deacon was elevated to the rank of priest.

Saint Innocent did not hesitate to take all means available to him to eradicate such disorder. He demanded that all priests on Sundays read books sent out by the Holy Synod entitled “Commandments with Interpretation,” as well as the teachings of the Holy Fathers of the Church. In case of failure to fulfill their duties, the saint threatened the negligent shepherds with the judgment of God, at which they would have to answer not only for themselves, but also for their spiritual children. In general, understanding the importance of the clergy, Saint Innocent tried to elevate their position, as can be seen from one of his speeches addressed to the pastors. In this speech, the saint tried to explain the importance and responsibility of priestly service. He said that priests are builders of the mysteries of God, light for darkness, salt of the earth, stars of heaven, shepherds who are obliged to drive away the wolves from their verbal flock. Priests, said the zealous archpastor, must diligently build the house of God, decorate it with every good deed, especially diligently preach the word of God, continuously teaching their spiritual children.

But regulations alone could not fix everything. It was necessary to prepare the future shepherds of the Church through good teaching and upbringing. Therefore, the saint cared a lot about the school. Before him there was one Mongolian school, established during Platkovsky’s time at the Ascension Monastery. But under Platkovsky this school was in the worst condition. At the beginning of 1728, the saint established a Russian school at the Mongolian school. From that time on, the school received the name Russian-Mongolian. Future shepherds were to emerge from the Russian department of this school. The saint took great care of her; he put her room in order and called the teachers himself. The school accepted children not only from the clergy, but also from all classes. The saint ordered the clergy to immediately deliver their children aged 7 to 15 to school. Those who did not comply with this order had to pay a fine of 15 rubles and, in addition, the children were expelled through the authorities at the expense of the disobedient ones. In 1730, two years after the opening of the school, there were already about 36 students. The saint increased the salaries of teachers; he also zealously took care of the delivery of the necessary books. In 1729, for the Mongolian department, he ordered several books from lamas who lived beyond Lake Baikal. The scribes copied these books, the originals were returned to their owners, and the new books were given to the school for their use. The saint chose Hieromonk Lawrence to supervise his disciples. Maintaining the school cost him a lot of trouble and grief. Funds were extremely scarce. The saint mainly maintained this school with the income of the Ascension Monastery and with his own, although the latter were very insignificant.

At that time in Siberia there was such a custom: the parishioners themselves chose from among themselves persons whom they considered worthy of the priesthood, and sent them to be appointed to the bishop. And Saint Innocent respected this custom, and did not in the least compromise his right to ensure that the chosen shepherds were worthy of their title, and appointed only such. If, according to the certificate in the bishop's order, the chosen person did not have any obstacles to accepting holy orders, then the saint considered the resolution “for teaching at school.” The person elected was sent to a Mongolian-Russian school and studied here for at least two months. At this time, he was obliged to copy for himself the rules from the Spiritual Regulations relating to priestly service, then memorize them. At the same time, he became acquainted with the new ministry ahead of him. Upon graduation from school, the aforementioned hieromonk Lavrenty tested him. If, after testing, the chosen one was found worthy, then he received the assigned letter from the saint and, having learned to conduct church services, left for his place of service. This is how the saint cared about choosing worthy shepherds. If one of the persons chosen by the parishioners turned out to be unworthy of the great rank, then the saint rejected such a person.

Saint Innocent also ordered that the priests of his diocese should not perform religious services in other parishes, except in extreme cases. Only for confession was it allowed to accept everyone who came, even from other parishes. Everyone was obliged to receive communion in his parish church, and if he was at confession in another parish, then his spiritual father gave him a letter of release, certifying that he was at confession and worthy to receive the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

The saint paid special attention to the large number of those who evaded confession. In Irkutsk alone in 1722, the number of people who did not go to confession reached 420 people. The saint could not ignore this. The perpetrators were instructed to strictly follow the decrees of the Church.

“Give you an order (deanery) Overseas (Trans-Baikal) throughout the Selenginsky district, and in action act on these points:

4. You must collect salary money from all churches of your order every year according to the timesheet, without excess. If chapels are resumed by decree, these salaries must be collected and given back.

6. Report your decision on the case to the order.

7. Deliver metric notebooks and confessional records from all churches.

8. To ensure that there are no unregistered clergy in the area and, if there are any, to bring them to the Right Reverend.

9. Monitor to see if there are schismatics and, if they turn out to be, report.

10. Do not act beyond the right granted by the instructions, and perform the duties of the office diligently and conscientiously.

11. On paper, take ink from all churches in proportion to how much comes out; Likewise, the scribe should assign a ruble from each church, and not determine any more.

In general, Saint Innocent’s short stay at the Irkutsk See was marked by his continuous concern for the welfare of the flock entrusted to him and by his tireless labors. He himself set an example for everyone of a strict pious life and demanded that the clergy also serve as an example for their flock. But it was difficult for the saint to fight some of the vices that plagued the Siberian clergy. The vice of drunkenness was especially strong among him. Often the priests “were strong and brave to drink” in the homes of parishioners. Such shepherds even allowed themselves indecent acts in the temple of God. “In churches,” say documents of that time, “such priests sometimes scold, sometimes fight; friends, evil priests in the church and altar swear, curse and make the house of God a den of thieves”; many priests followed their gluttony, drunkenly wandered the streets, lay in taverns; wandering the streets, making outrageous noise, going to sleep on the road, blaspheming, fighting.”

Saint Innocent tried by all means to eradicate drunkenness; he put the perpetrators on trial.

The saint tried not only by punishment, but most often by exhortation and his wise words to correct his subordinates. Since 1729, the military church of the Yakut regiment came under the jurisdiction of the Irkutsk archpastor. The saint was informed that the regimental priest, Hieromonk Theophan of Kaparsky, was leading a very drunken life and was not fulfilling his duties. Even the days of Holy Week did not stop him. The saint turned to him with a touching, purely fatherly admonition: “Honorable Father Theophan! You do not deserve such admonition from us, but rather deserve dishonor. However, we are writing to you. How are you not ashamed that you are called by the Lord God for the whole world to offer a holy sacrifice and shepherd the flock of His verbal sheep, for which you will be tortured and give an answer on the day of terrible testing, and you yourself do not hold that title, but you constantly drink and become hopelessly drunk? , but you don’t correct your affairs, you fix many idle indecencies. Is this the priest's business? Now we are writing this to you, admonishing you in a fatherly manner so that you improve. If you do not give up your vices, then know that with dishonor you will be changed from the regiment, called to us for judgment and you will receive what is worthy of your deeds. But please, correct yourself.”

The noble son Nikita Varlaamov, with royal permission, built a monastery in Nerchinsk in 1709 at his own expense. In accordance with the royal charter, Nikita was elevated to the rank of abbot and named Pancratius. In this letter it was said that “the abbots should not know the peasants, they should know only the Church of God.” The management of the monastic property after Pankratius was to pass to one of the laity. This caused discontent among the brethren and little respect for the newly elected abbot after Pankratius - Hieromonk Nathanael. Some of the brethren allowed themselves to scold the new abbot; quarrels and abuse, self-will and disobedience in the monastery were incessant. Nathanael had to personally ask Saint Innocent to put a limit to such unrest with his holy authority. The saint did not remain deaf to Nathanael’s requests and sent the following message to the Nerchinsk monastery: “Decree of our bishops of the Nerchinsk Assumption Monastery to the monks, investors and peasants. It is known to our bishops that it happened from reliable persons, and especially from that monastery abbot Nathanael, who last year, at our request, and by the grace of the All-Holy Spirit, through our regularity, was promoted to you as abbot, that from the monks and Beltsy reproachful, idle words are inflicted on him ; Likewise, in many cases and monastic works, which happen for the general monastic benefit, disobedience is practiced. For this reason, we fatherly exhort and command you, so that you obey abbot Nathanael, like your father and superior, in everything and act in vain without his commands and do not quarrel among yourself, like animals, under the unblessing of God and ours. If you do something contrary to what you do, and if he makes a petition against you in the future, then he will be taken to Irkutsk to answer according to the decrees of Her Imperial Majesty. May the God of peace and love be with you and our unworthy blessing.”

This world is fleeting; man on earth is a temporary guest; the end for everyone is death. “As we are blind, so too are our spiritual eyes blinded by the charms of this world, we do not see the true path how to come to the true Sun - the Light of Christ, because this world seduces us and promises us much life; promises us gold, but will take away heavenly blessings from us; There is nothing more than gold, unless it is good, because there is more of this world on earth. Worms are found in herbs, and in the night they appear as bright as adamants (that is, diamonds), but if you touch them with your hand, they are nothing but dust. So it is with every man: if he rises for the height of his family, for the beauty of his face, for the strength of his strength, for the abundance of his wealth, he will see dust and earth and a worm, according to the words of David: I am a worm, not a man(Ps. 21:7), even the being of the tree is replaced by corruption: rotten wood, but in a dark place the light of life is seen: if you look and see the decay and the earth... In the same way, the laity, who are attached to earthly things: if a person puts thought on food and drink that the belly will reward him with, just blood and dust; If a person applies diligence to the purchases and trades of this world, what will the merchant acquire for himself? Nothing, just vanity; but from our treasures and wealth we will take nothing, just a bitch and a shroud. And if a person gets married and has children, marries a son and gives his daughter in marriage and lives a hundred years or more, then what? Death; and after death it will acquire corruption..."

The saint touchingly exhorts to give alms. “You should be merciful to the requests of the poor, when they cry out to you: “For Christ’s sake, give alms to the poor”; and be merciful to their request. They are not asking you for any great gift; but they only ask for a single penny or a small piece of bread, for God’s sake. Be gracious; for that mercy you yourself will receive mercy from God... If we give alms to the poor, God will give it to you in the next world, and whoever gives more, God gives more to him, and whoever gives less, gives less to him. Almsgiving is an acquisition for eternity: through it the believer receives the Kingdom of Heaven. I pray to you, my beloved, that we may receive the Kingdom of Heaven. How can I get it? 1) Give food to the hungry, 2) give drink to the thirsty, 3) receive the strange, 4) clothe the naked, 5) visit the weak, 6) go to prison, 7) follow, bury the dead in hedgehogs. With these virtues we will receive the Kingdom of Heaven.”

The saint advised that the practice of these virtues be especially timed to coincide with great holidays. “Favorites! Do not be unfaithful in word and life, confess in word that the Lord has truly risen, and through life you will return in doing good deeds, giving alms and maintaining love. And if anyone creates love, let him clothe the poor, and not decorate his flesh with vanity, as we do now, we adorn ourselves with vestments; What kind of holiday are we waiting for, the Resurrection of the Lord, or some other holiday, then we prepare for ourselves good caftans, dressing mittens, decent hats, red boots; It would be better for us to prepare for the holidays with good deeds.”

In one of his teachings, the saint clearly and simply set out the rules of pious life.

From the book of God's people author (Fedchenkov) Metropolitan Veniamin

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From the book Russian Ascetics of the 19th Century author Poselyanin Evgeniy

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INNOCENT, saint, Bishop of Irkutsk, the first miracle worker in Siberia glorified by the Russian Church, was born in Little Russia, descended from the Kulchitsky nobles; the year of his birth is unknown; studied at the Kyiv Theological Academy; tonsured a monk at the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. WITH

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St. Innocent (Kulchitsky), Bishop of Irkutsk († 1731), commemorated December 9, February 22 According to legend, he was born around 1680 in Little Russia, in the Chernigov province in the family of the priest Kolchitsky (or Kulchitsky), a descendant of an ancient Polish family. This surname together with the noble

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St. Sophrony, Bishop of Irkutsk († 1771), memory April 12, July 13 Sophrony (in the world Stefan Kristallevsky) was born on December 25, 1703 in the town of Berezan, Pereyaslavsky district of Poltava province. His father was a cleric. Stefan graduated from the Pereyaslav Theological Seminary and

Innocent of Irkutsk is considered the patron and protector of all Siberia. Prayers in front of the icon of the saint can help you maintain peace and understanding in your home, avoid troubles and save your soul from sinful temptation.

History of the icon

Saint Innocent was born in Little Russia in 1680. His parents were representatives of a family of noble, pious nobles. Wanting to give their son a decent education, his parents sent him to study at the Kyiv Theological Seminary, and then to the Theological Academy.

Innocent dedicated his life to serving God and guided many people on the true path. On his life's journey, the saint was a hieromonk on a ship, a minister of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, and after that - a bishop of Irkutsk. The saint died in 1731 in the Ascension Monastery.

Immediately after the death of the saint, miracles began to happen: people who came to ask the bishop received healing from long-standing illnesses that could not be treated. In 1800, Innocent was canonized, and icon painters of Irkutsk painted several of his icons.

Where is the holy image located?

There are many copies of the icon of St. Innocent, but the very first image is in the Irkutsk Holy Cross Monastery.

Description and meaning of the icon of St. Innocent

The icon depicts Saint Innocent of Irkutsk in the prime of his strength and righteous path. In one hand the Saint holds an Orthodox cross, and in the other - the Holy Scriptures.

How does a miraculous icon help?

All Orthodox Christians of Siberia pray to Saint Innocent of Irkutsk as their intercessor and heavenly patron. In addition, all believers pray to the saint, asking him to get rid of serious illnesses and heal congenital ailments.

Prayers before the image of Innocent of Irkutsk

“Saint Innocent, zealous protector and patron of the weak servants of God! We pray you, do not leave God’s servant (name) in sin and illness, cover him with your cover and show him the way to God’s grace and blessing. Heal physical and mental illnesses, do not leave the humble servant of our Lord in the hell of passions and the burden of illnesses. Let (name) not resist your instructions and follow the path of true faith. Amen".

“Saint Innocent, who dedicated his righteous life to serving the true Orthodox faith and departed to the Lord in peace and tranquility! I pray you, have mercy on us, sinful servants of God, help us cleanse our souls from the burden of sin and be worthy of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. May our faith be strengthened by your intercession and let us humbly enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen".

Prayers to the saints, read with sincere zeal and humility, can help you change your life. We wish you peace in your soul and strong faith in God. Be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and

20.06.2017 05:47

The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is widely known among Orthodox Christians. The intercessor and protector of all people is...

The emergence of the Orthodox Church in America is connected with the missionary activity of the Russian Church. At the end of the 18th century, Russian missionaries - monks of the Valaam and Konevsky monasteries - came to preach the word of God to Russian America, then a remote part of their own Fatherland. At the same time, they did not set themselves the goal of Russifying the local population - one of their first tasks was the translation of the Holy Scriptures and liturgical books into the languages of local peoples. And the seeds of the faith of Christ, sown here, bore abundant fruit, and St. Herman of Alaska and St. Innocent (Veniaminov) were glorified as saints.

Saint Innocent was a wonderful preacher. Celebrating liturgies, prayer services and all-night vigils, he invariably instructed his flock. During numerous trips, Saint Innocent studied the language, life and customs of the peoples among whom he preached. His works on geography, ethnography and linguistics gained worldwide fame. He compiled the alphabet and grammar of the Aleut-Lisev language and translated the Catechism, the Gospel and many prayers into it. One of his best works “ Showing the way to the Kingdom of Heaven” (1833) was translated into different languages and went through more than 40 editions. Thanks to the works of Saint Innocent, the inhabitants of Alaska for the first time heard the Word of God and worship in their native language.

First steps.

The future Metropolitan of Moscow was born on August 26, 1797, on the day of the celebration of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, into the poor family of Eusebius Popov, sexton of the Ilinskaya Church in the Siberian village of Anginskoye. At baptism the child was named John.

Vanya was six years old when his father died. The mother was left alone with four children, and Vanya was taken in by his father’s brother, Deacon Dimitri, who served in the same Ilyinsky Church. At the age of seven, Vanya became a reader. For the first time he began to read at the service at the Christmas Liturgy and his first words were: “Prokeimenon, voice eighth:Let all the earth worship You and sing to You, and sing to Your name, O Most High..”

Neither the little reader himself, nor the people who were in the church could then imagine that Vanya’s entire future life would be sanctified by these prophetic words.

The parishioners liked the new reader’s intelligent reading, but the mother was especially consoled: encouraged by her son’s successes, she dreamed of appointing him as a sexton in his father’s place in order to have support for herself and the rest of her children. But for this it was necessary to go to study, and in 1806 Ivan entered the Irkutsk Seminary.

The boy studied well. In his free time, he could be found in the seminary library or with his uncle, who, having become a widower, became a monk and moved to Irkutsk. Deacon Dimitri (monastically David), was a good watchmaker and self-taught mechanic. He also captivated his nephew with his activities.

At the seminary, in order to distinguish between numerous namesakes, the rector changed the surnames of many students. Then Ivan Popov became Veniaminov, in memory of the recently deceased Irkutsk Bishop Veniamin.

The Irkutsk diocese was in dire need of church and clergymen. Therefore, many seminarians, not yet completing their studies, became sextons and sextons in churches, or were ordained deacons or priests. This happened with Ivan Veniaminov. A year before graduating from the seminary, he married the daughter of a priest of the Annunciation Church, Ekaterina Ivanovna, and was ordained a deacon to the same church.

Father John graduated from the seminary as one of the best, and four years later he was ordained a priest. The young priest gained the love and respect of parishioners for his good disposition and for the solemn order of the divine service. On Sundays, before the Liturgy, Fr. John gathered children to church and told them about the Christian faith, about worship, the rules of a pious and godly life.

In his free time, Fr. John made clocks and musical organs with spiritual hymns, which made it possible to ensure the financial situation of the family. From Anginsky we moved to Fr. John his mother and brother Stephen. The priest had a son, who was named Innocent. The family lived in their own house, not in luxury, but in abundance. Everything in life seemed to be established firmly and for a long time, not even Fr. John and his family did not expect big changes.

At the end of 1822, a new parishioner appeared in the Annunciation Church - a certain Ivan Kryukov, who lived for forty years in the colonies of the Russian-American Company. He spoke with enthusiasm about Russian America and especially about the inhabitants of the Aleutian Islands - the Aleuts, about their simple-heartedness, kindness, straightforwardness, and deep devotion to the Orthodox faith. In his stories, he often convinced Fr. John to go to this distant country.

At the same time, Bishop Mikhail of Irkutsk received instructions from the Holy Synod that a priest should be sent to the island of Unalaska, to the Aleutian Islands, which were then part of the Irkutsk diocese. I received an invitation to missionary service and St. John Veniaminov, but, like others, refused.

Meanwhile, Ivan Kryukov was preparing to leave Irkutsk. When he paid a farewell visit to Bishop. Mikhail, then I met Fr. John. The conversation quickly turned to the topic that was troubling everyone: the priest’s assignment to Fr. Unalaska. Ivan Kryukov again began to talk about the Aleuts:

- Ah, Your Eminence! You won't believe how zealous the Aleuts are in their faith. Despite everything - neither frost nor snow, they go to the chapel for matins. This chapel is built of planks and does not have a stove. And they stand, sometimes barefoot, without moving from foot to foot the entire time they read Matins.

“These very words stung my heart like an arrow,” Fr. later recalled. John, - and I was eager to go to these people... Let my example be new proof of the truth that from the Lord man's ways are corrected. He was pleased to assign me a field of service in America - and this was fulfilled, even despite the opposition of my will.

The Bishop agreed not without hesitation and blessed the selfless determination of Fr. John. And on May 7, 1823, having served a prayer service before the road, Fr. John left Irkutsk. Along with him, in addition to his wife and son, his old mother and brother went.

On the island of Unalaska.

The difficult journey took almost a year and on July 29, 1824 Fr. John and his family arrived on the island. Unalaska. The new parish consisted of two groups of the Aleutian Islands - the Foxes and the Pribyvalovs.

Fox Islands are mountainous and almost treeless. Low alder and alder grow at the base of the mountains and in flat areas. In places you can find berries and mushrooms. The upper part of the mountains is completely bare or covered with moss and creeping plants. The conical peaks are almost always hidden in impenetrable darkness, since these are extinct or dormant volcanoes, and therefore earthquakes are a common occurrence on the islands. There are almost no sunny days here. This is the kingdom of cold, winds and fogs.

On the Pribyvalov Islands, about. St. Pavel and Fr. St. Georgiy, it’s not as cold as on Lisikh, where in winter birds sometimes freeze in flight. Here in winter it is only 5-6 degrees below zero. But constant winds always bring snowstorms or rain. In summer it is not much warmer here, but the sky is still hidden behind a veil of fog. For the sake of hunting seals and sea lions, settlements were built here: two or three good houses for offices and barracks for workers. On about. St. Paul there was a chapel in honor of the Chief Apostles.

On about. Unalaska had ten villages in which Aleuts, Creoles and Russians lived. Their main industry was hunting foxes, beavers, fur seals and sea lions. Fr. Joanna, among whom there were very few Russians, was weakly strengthened in Christianity. The kind-hearted inhabitants of the islands sincerely accepted the Gospel in 1795, when they were baptized by the hieromonk of the spiritual mission Macarius. But since then they have been left without a priest. The priests who visited here occasionally did not have camp churches and could not introduce the newly converted Saints to Tanin, just like the baptist of the Aleuts, Father Macarius himself. Due to the shortness of time and the lack of good interpreters, he was able to convey to the Aleuts only the most general concepts about God, His omnipotence, goodness, and love for the human race. So, although the Aleuts believed and prayed to God, as they were taught, by the time Father John arrived it was, one might say, faith and prayer to an unknown God.

The harsh climate, the parish scattered across numerous and sometimes inaccessible islands, the obscure customs, way of life and language of a foreign people, the lack of sufficient material resources - all this did not promise an easy life, fame, glory... But Father John did not lose heart. With trust in God and readiness for self-sacrifice, he set to work.

The main settlement of the island of Unalaska - the place of new residence of Father John Veniaminov - was officially called the village of Concord, but was usually called Gavansky based on its location. Two days after his arrival, on August 1, 1824, Father John served the first Liturgy and thanksgiving prayer for the successful completion of a long and difficult journey in the wooden chapel. The house in which the family of the new Unalaska priest settled looked more like a dugout - the usual dwelling of the islanders. Due to the treelessness of these places, they were built from thin poles - bush trunks, and covered with earth.

Getting to know his parishioners and pondering what should be done first, Father John in fervent prayer asked for admonition and blessings from the Lord. After some time, a firm decision came to him - his first task should be the construction of a temple on Unalaska. The second thing, without which it would have been impossible to become a father, adviser, and friend for the Aleuts, Father John believed, should be the study of the language of the islanders, which has so little resemblance to the languages of the Old World.

To build the church, materials were needed, the shortage of which was always felt in treeless Unalaska. The timber for construction could be delivered from the island of Sith with great difficulty and expense. The board of the Russian-American company promised to assist in this matter. It was much more difficult to find workers for construction. Father John noticed that the Aleuts are very receptive in all respects. They soon adopted from the Russians all kinds of handicrafts that they had the opportunity to see. How useful then was Father John’s thorough acquaintance with mechanics and the craft skills that he acquired in his youth! He himself began to train Aleut workers, teaching them carpentry, carpentry, plumbing and blacksmithing, brick making and masonry. In this joint work, it was the best possible way to get closer and get to know your parishioners, their character, morals, ideas about the world, and get to know their language.

A year later, when the Aleut builders were sufficiently prepared, on July 1, 1825, work began on the construction of the church. Father John himself led them, and he carved and gilded the Throne and iconostasis with his own hands. A year passed in labor, and on June 29, 1826, on the feast of the glorious and all-praised apostles Peter and Paul, the built church was consecrated in the name of the Ascension of the Lord. This was the first church on the Fox Islands. Having gotten to know the Aleuts better, Father John could not help but fall in love with his flock.

Father John spent most of his time traveling around the parish. For this purpose, several two- and three-hatch kayaks were equipped, into which everything necessary for performing divine services, provisions and water supplies was placed, and the rowers - Aleuts, an interpreter and Father John himself - sat down. To travel between the islands, one had to have not only courage, since in a strong wind one could easily capsize, but also enormous patience: one had to sit in a narrow kayak with legs stretched out and pressed, like those of a swaddled person. But there was no choice - the kayak was the only transport in this region.

What missionary travelers had to endure during multi-day sea passages! More than once, caught in a storm, they landed in a deserted place and, without food for several days, were forced to wait for a change in weather or travel through the mountains to the nearest village, carrying kayaks and all the cargo. But God also sent spiritual consolations to the selfless priest. The Aleuts greeted him as the closest and dearest person. The entire village with small children came to ask for his blessing. They listened with attention and trust to the instructions and conversations of Father John, and the preacher got tired of talking rather than the Aleuts stopped listening. They zealously fulfilled their Christian duties. Unpretentious in food, they diligently kept their fasts. During the entire service, they did not leave their places, so that from the marks left by their torsos on the floor, after the service it was possible to count how many people were praying here. And after parting, they sent messengers to ask to come to them again.

Lent of 1828 came, and Father John went to his parishioners who lived on other islands. The path lay to the island of Akun, located northeast of Unalaska. Father John visited these places for the first time, and imagine his surprise when he saw that the local residents were standing on the shore dressed up, as if for a solemn holiday. He went ashore, and the islanders rushed to greet him and tried in every possible way to show their joy at his arrival.

- Why are you so dressed up? – asked Father John.

Tolmach Pankov translated his question, and then, after listening to the answer of one of the older Aleuts, he said:

“They knew that you had left and should be with them today, so they went ashore to meet you as expected.”

- How did you know that I would be with you today, and why did you know that I was Father John? – the priest asked, even more surprised.

“Our shaman, old Ivan Smirennikov from Rechetnoye, told us: “Wait, a priest will come to you today: he has already left and will teach you to pray to God.” He described your appearance, exactly as we see you now.

– Can I see this old shaman? – asked Fr. John.

“Why not, of course you can, but now he’s not here, when he comes, we’ll tell him; Yes, he himself will come to you without us.

“Shaman” Smirennikov.

These words greatly surprised Father John, but he ignored them and began preparing the Akun residents for fasting. Father John explained to his spiritual children the basic tenets of the Orthodox faith, the meaning of fasting, and then instructed them on how to confess. After some time, Ivan Smirennikov also joined the fasting people. He lived in Recheshnoe, ten miles from the main village where Father John stayed, and came to prepare for Communion and listen to the priest’s instructions. But it so happened that during Smirennikov’s confession, Father John did not ask why his fellow countrymen called him a shaman. And after Communion, having congratulated the old man on receiving the Holy Mysteries and blessing him, he released him without questioning him. After some time, the main toen (elder) of the island appeared to Father John and said that Smirennikov was offended by the priest because he did not ask why they called him a shaman, and most of all because he did not forbid the priestly authority from calling him that.

“And he also said,” Ivan Pankov translated, “that he is not a shaman at all, and this nickname is unpleasant and offensive to him.”

Father John recalled that in his teachings from Sacred History, due to the shortness of time, he sometimes omitted something, but old Smirennikov was always ready to complement it, and sometimes confirmed what was said in the tone of a man versed in the Holy Scriptures. Father John knew that except for Father Macarius, who visited this island more than thirty years ago and baptized all the local Aleuts, there were no other missionaries here.

– Ivan, what do you know about Smirennikov? – Father John asked his assistant Pankov.

- I, father, know that all the inhabitants of the island revere him as a shaman. I don’t know if he is a shaman, but he is a difficult person. Three years ago, the wife of Toyen Fyodor Zharov from the Artelnovsky village fell into a gag (a trap for foxes. The blow of all three sharp iron teeth landed directly on the kneecap. They freed their leg from the trap, but the wound was terrible and the pain was unbearable. Her relatives secretly asked the old man for healing, and he, having thought, said that in the morning she would be healthy. And indeed, in the morning she got up and walked, without feeling any pain, and to this day she is completely healthy.

“In the winter of the same year, as the story happened with Fedor’s wife,” a young Aleut who came with the toen entered the conversation, “we had a great need for food, and some of our people asked old man Smirennikov to give us a whale, and he promised ask. After a little time, he showed us the place where we would find the whale: and indeed, when we got there, we found a whole fresh whale exactly where he said.

“Last autumn,” said the chief toyon, “we were all expecting you, father, because we sent people from Akuna after you.” Ivan argued that you will not be in the fall, but will be in the spring.

“Indeed, the winds held me back, and the time became later, and therefore I left my intention until spring,” Father John recalled.

These stories convinced Father John to meet with the old man Smirennikov, and he sent for him. However, he himself was already walking towards the messengers.

“I know that Father John is calling me, and I go to him.

Father John began to ask Smirennikov why he was offended by him, how he lived, and asked about his loved ones and family. The old Aleut answered all questions sincerely and without guile.

- Do you know how to read and write? - asked the priest.

“No, I don’t know at all,” answered the old man. This was surprising, because during the conversation Ivan Smirennikov showed that he knew both the main prayers and the Gospel well.

- Tell me, how did you know about the day of my arrival, and even described my appearance to my brothers? I also heard that you cure diseases and can predict future events.

Ivan Smirennikov simply began his amazing story:

“Two of my comrades told me about your arrival.

- Who is this? - Father John interrupted him.

- White people. Soon after Father Macarius baptized us, one of them came to me, and then the other. They were white in face and wearing white clothes. They said that they were sent from God to teach me faith and protect me. And for almost thirty years now I have seen them almost every day, whether they come during the day or in the evening. They are not at night. So they told me about what I heard from you, they helped me often, and sometimes, at my request, they helped others. When I asked for help for others, they answered: “We will ask God and, if He is willing, we will do it.” Sometimes they spoke about what was happening in other places.

- Tell me, Ivan, how do they teach you to pray, to yourself or to God? – Father John asked the question again.

“Each time they said that everything is possible with the power of God Almighty. And they taught the Creator to pray with spirit and heart, and sometimes they prayed with me for a long time. They showed me how to correctly draw a cross on my body, and told me not to start any business without blessing myself. They were ordered not to eat early in the morning, not to eat soon-killed fish and animals that were still warm, and not to eat some birds and sea creatures at all. They said that God was disgusted by murder, theft, all deception and self-interest, and they especially ordered to maintain purity before and during marriage.

– Did your comrades appear to you after confession and Communion? Were you told to listen to me? – asked Father John.

- Yes, I saw them. They told me not to tell anyone my confessed sins and not to eat fatty foods soon after Communion. They said about you that I should listen to your teachings, but not to listen to other Russians, industrialists, who do not act as you teach. I saw them today, they told me that you want to see me and I should go and tell you everything and not be afraid of anything.

- Listen, when they appear to you, what do you feel - joy or sadness?

“If I do something bad, then at the sight of them my soul feels shame and remorse, but at other times I don’t feel any fear.” But I am very offended that many people consider me a shaman. I even once asked them not to come anymore because I didn’t want to be a shaman. But they said that they were not ordered to leave me. And when I asked why they weren’t different, they also answered that they didn’t order. And they said something else about you: in the not-too-distant future, you, having sent your family along the shore, will go by large water to a great man and talk to him.

Father John was confused by what he heard. It was difficult to suspect Smirennikov of deception. After some thought, the priest decided to ask for a meeting with the old man’s extraordinary comrades:

- Tell me, can I see them and talk to them?

“I don’t know, I’ll ask,” was the answer.

They said goodbye, the old man left, and Father John went to the nearest islands. Returning from a short trip, Father John met Smirennikov, from whose appearance one could guess that he had the answer.

- Well, you asked your white people, do they want to accept me? - asked Father John, blessing Smirennikov.

- I asked. They said you can see them if you want. And they also said: “Why should he see us when he himself teaches you what we teach? Does he still consider us to be devils?” However, come on, I will lead you to them.

These words struck Father John, and awe gripped him.

“What if, in fact,” he thought, “I see them, these angels, and they confirm what the old man said?” And how will I go to them? After all, I am a sinful person and unworthy to speak with angels. This is pride and arrogance, and can I resist dreaming too much about myself? And what is the need to talk to them, if their teaching, Christian teaching, is it not insidious curiosity that makes them seek this meeting? How can you do something like this without the blessing of your elder? And he decided to refuse to meet with the extraordinary comrades of Ivan Smirennikov.

“They are right,” he said to the old man, “I have no need to see them.” But it is clear to everyone that the spirits that appear to you are not devils, because although the devil can sometimes be transformed into an angel of light, but never for instruction and edification and salvation, but always for the destruction of a person. Therefore, listen to their teachings and instructions, unless it is contrary to what I taught you in the general meeting. But tell others who ask you about the future and ask for your help to ask God themselves, as the common Father of all. I do not forbid you to heal, but only with those whom you intend to heal, say that you are not healing with your own power, but with God’s, and advise you to pray more diligently and thank the One God; I also do not forbid teaching, but only children. Don’t say a word about the future to anyone, and not even to me! And I will certainly tell all the Akunians and tell them to tell others that no one calls you a shaman.

Having given such instructions, Father John warmly said goodbye to Ivan Smirennikov. The business for which he arrived on Akun was completed, and it was time to return to Unalaska. On the way back, not noticing at all the inconveniences of the voyage, Father John recalled what he had heard and asked himself whether he had done the right thing. In response to these doubts, a thought again came to his mind, which was decisive when he was discussing on the island about the possibility of a meeting: self-will in this, as in any matter, is not commendable. It is necessary to ask for the blessings and instructions of the bishop. And, having arrived home, he began to write a letter to the Irkutsk Archbishop Mikhail, detailing the incident on Akuna. In which he asked: “Did I act fairly in this case, and could I and was it necessary, if this old man were to live, to see and speak to the spirits that appeared to him, and if possible, then with what precaution.”

Ten years later, when a priest from the Aleutian Islands finds himself in the capital St. Petersburg and Ivan Smirennikov’s prediction about a meeting with a “great man” comes true (Tsar Nicholas I will talk with him), Father John will tell his new acquaintance, traveler and writer Andrei Nikolaevich Muravyov this amazing story.

– And you were no longer able to see the elder and talk with his visitors? - Muravyov will ask him.

“No,” Father John will answer with Christian humility, “because my bishop’s answer came to me only in the third year.” In the letter, the Bishop wrote that he would like me to decide to see and talk with the spirits, but the subject of our conversation, in his opinion, should be no other than the fate of the newly converted Aleuts, for whose benefit we should ask God. The Bishop also instructed us to remember the Lord’s Prayer during the possible meeting, which we should repeat together with the spirits. But by the time the letter was received, the elder died a blessed death, having predicted the day and hour of his death. He gathered his entire family around him, lit a candle in front of the icon, prayed, said goodbye to everyone, and on his deathbed, turning to the wall, he quietly gave up the ghost.

What will then be more surprising to the St. Petersburg listeners: the wonderful talents of the Aleut elder or the humility of the missionary, who lost the only opportunity to see and speak with angels, but did not violate the commandment of obedience. This amazing story clearly showed that such miraculous phenomena were needed by Smirennikov with his family and fellow tribesmen when there was no spiritual mentor for them, but when people appeared to help them on their path to salvation, the heavenly leaders disappeared.

Father John's travels helped him a lot in learning the Aleut language. After mastering the language, he took up translations. First of all, Father John translated the main Christian prayers: “Our Father,” “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary,” and the Creed, then he began to translate the Gospel of Matthew. Father more than once saw how Aleuts spent hours looking at, carefully leafing through, the Psalter, completely unaware of the Church Slavonic language.

Sitka.

At a time when travel around the parish was impossible, Father John wrote a scientific work - “Notes on the islands of the Unalaska department.” It was a collection of his many years of travel diaries, which he kept on all his travels. This included the geography of the islands, their climate and nature, a description of the life of the Aleuts: their way of life, customs, fairy tales...

The main ruler of the Company, F.P. Wrangel, concerned about the decrease in the number of fur seals due to the reckless pursuit of “soft gold,” instructed Fr. John, in whose parish on Fr. Pribilov were the main hunting industries, calculate the fishing report card.

Father did not like and did not know how to be idle and his children, and there were already five of them, as soon as he noticed that they were idle, he immediately came up with something useful and entertaining. Father was always surrounded by children, his own and others. He told them the Sacred story, played ball, walked through the mountains, collecting stones and talking about them. When a fair amount of stones had accumulated, he invited the children to lay out a path from the house to the church. In the evenings Fr. John, as he once did in his homeland, often made watches and musical organs for sale, involving children in the work.

On Unalaska o. John spent ten years gaining not only the universal love of the Aleuts, but also the deep respect of the Company's leadership. It was precisely such a priest that the Board wanted to see in the main city of Russian America - Novoarkhangelsk. In 1834, an order was issued to transfer Fr. John Veniaminov to St. Michael's Cathedral of the Novoarkhangelsk port, located on the western shore of the island. Sitka.

Novoarkhangelsk was surrounded on all sides by mountains covered with giant coniferous forests. Due to the sea southwest winds, the air here is so humid that to an unaccustomed person it seems as if he is immersed in a cold steam bath. Russians lived in the city - employees of the Company. Fish was produced on the island, and city residents grew vegetables.

Father John and his family arrived in Sitka on November 22. During the first winter of his stay on Sith, Father John was busy with matters related to the place of his former ministry, and did not have time to really get to know the indigenous inhabitants of the island - the Koloshes or Tlingits. In the summer they usually went off to fish and fur trades. In the coming autumn there were also many good reasons that prevented me from starting to preach. But in the winter, Father John decided to get down to business. The new head of the colonies, Ivan Antonovich Kupriyanov, supplied the priest with everything he needed - all that remained was to begin. But due to some unimportant circumstances and incidents, the priest postponed his trip to the ears from day to day. Some reluctance, alien to him in matters of preaching, held him back. Meanwhile, the holiday of the Nativity of Christ arrived. Father John made a firm promise to himself that at the end of Christmastide he would certainly begin what he had planned. But suddenly, three days before the scheduled date, the ears appeared smallpox, and precisely in the very places from which they were supposed to start visiting them. If Father John had rushed to start conversations before the epidemic, all the blame would have been placed on him as the Russian shaman who unleashed such evil on them. And the almost subsided enmity of the Koloshes towards the Russians could flare up with renewed vigor, and the priest from the evangelist would become for them an evil messenger of doom and death.

Smallpox was so raging that during January and February of 1836 it killed almost half the people. Seeing that the Russians had not suffered any harm, although the Koloshes tried to infect them by placing smallpox scabs in the products they sold, the Koloshes, who were more friendly, turned to the Russians with a request to save them from death. A Sitka doctor named Blaschke began to vaccinate the ears of the ears. When their relatives saw that everyone who turned to the doctor remained unharmed amid the raging disease, they began to come and come from the most distant places so that they too could have a life-saving scratch made on their hands.

The events that took place pacified the warlike Koloshes; they no longer looked at the Russians with the same hostility. Therefore, when Father John came to them with a sermon, they accepted him not as wishing them harm, but as a person from whom they could learn important and useful things. The Koloshes began to listen to the words of salvation. However, Father John did not immediately offer them baptism. Talking about the truths of the Christian faith, he waited for their own decision. He accepted those who asked for baptism with joy, but always asked the consent of their toens and mothers, who really liked such respect and willingly gave permission.

Now St. Veniaminov more than once spent evenings talking with the Koloshes who lived near Novoarkhangelsk. Without fear, he came to their homes - barabors, asked about life, legends, customs and rituals, and he himself spoke about the events of Holy history. The Koloshes received him with cordiality: every family man wanted the priest to visit his home. (“Notes on Koloshes” by Priest Veniaminov).

First Liturgy in Stakhino.

In 1837 Fr. John went to the Stakhin redoubt, which was on the mainland. Here for the first time he had to celebrate the Divine Liturgy. The priest invited in advance all the Koloshes who lived around the redoubt to come at the appointed time to the place of the sacred rite, because from his own experience he knew what a deep impression Orthodox worship had on the pagans.

This can be evidenced by another Russian missionary priest who visited Hawaii in 1893. Later, on the pages of the magazine “Orthodox Evangelist”, he published untitled notes about his stay among the Hawaiian natives. One of the sections of these notes is called “Orthodox liturgy in the Hawaiian Islands.”

“During the consecration of the Gifts,” writes the author of the notes, “a sheaf of light broke through the cracks of the canopy (the Liturgy was celebrated in a village courtyard under a canvas canopy in the form of a gazebo, where a temporary altar was installed - an ordinary table) and fell on the altar. The semi-wild Hawaiians, who had been standing decorously around the gazebo where the service was being held, suddenly showed extraordinary jubilation, began to clap their hands and utter joyful cries. Subsequently, I got used to it, but for the first time, I must admit, I felt terrified: how did they know that the most important moment of the service had arrived?

An experienced missionary subsequently explained to the Russian priest the behavior of the natives: “They greet the Eucharistic Christ who descended on the altar. Our feelings have already become so coarsened that we do not all and do not always feel the presence of Christ on the altar. These primitive children of nature, not knowing the sweetness of Christian teaching and the grace-filled power of the Sacraments, feel the presence of the Eucharistic Christ, just as we sometimes feel the approach of a close and beloved person.”

...By the beginning of the service, about one and a half thousand koloshi had gathered in the redoubt. Since there was no chapel in Stakhino, Fr. John served outside the fortress under the roof of a structure surrounded by bars. The Koloshes looked with respect at the mystery they did not understand. Not only adults, but also children did not make noise during the service. And at the end, several baptized Koloshes took communion with the Russians.

After returning from Stakhino, Fr. John received a greeting from the local toens and a wish to see and listen to him again. Such a living religious feeling of the proud Koloshes greatly pleased the priest and instilled in him the hope of seeing this active, quick-witted and brave people revived to a life of grace.

In Sith Fr. John set up a school for converts and their children, where he taught them the Law of God, literacy and various crafts, compiling textbooks himself. It was his responsibility to take care of the splendor of the Church of the Archangel Michael. He did not abandon his scientific works, having completed the “Experience in the Grammar of the Aleutian-Lisevsky Language,” the priest with the same thoroughness took up the Koloshensky and Kodiak languages, kept records of the customs and legends of the Koloshes. I haven't forgotten about. John and his first flock - dear to the hearts of Unalashka residents. In 1838, he completed the translation of the Gospel of Matthew into the Aleut language, he also translated prayers, and wrote small books about the Orthodox faith and how a true Christian should live.

Fr. lived for fifteen years. John in Russian America. His first parishioners, the Aleuts, fell in love with the Russian priest, the wayward and proud Koloshes joyfully received the missionary, and the leadership of the Company treated his work with great respect. But it became more and more difficult to convince so many Americans of Christianity. In a vast territory, with settlements far apart from each other, there were only four priests. There were not enough people, not enough funds to provide the parishes with even the most necessary things.

In Russia they could not live without Fr. John to print his translations: there would not have been anyone who knew the Aleut language in the Holy Synod to check them. And about. John decided to ask his archpastor for a long leave in order to explain to the highest Church authorities the condition and needs of the distant American region and ask for help and assistance.

Trip to St. Petersburg, death of Mother Catherine.

November 8, 1838 St. Ivan Veniaminov, together with his five-year-old daughter Thekla, boarded the ship leaving Russian America. His wife and the rest of the children went to their homeland, to Irkutsk, where the sons of Fr. Joanna, Innocent and Gabriel were planning to enter the seminary.

June 22, 1839 travel of Fr. John's journey through the Pacific and Atlantic oceans ended, and the ship dropped anchor in the port of Kronstadt.

Both St. Petersburg and Moscow warmly welcomed the missionary. Many sought to meet him to hear his amazing stories. A lot of time about. John accompanied him with Metropolitan Philaret, who had become attached to him. There was complete success in collecting donations. Work was underway on the publication of translations and works by Fr. John. But unexpectedly, sad news came from Irkutsk: on November 25, 1839, the day after her name day, Fr.’s wife died. Ioanna Ekaterina Ivanovna. Shocked by grief, the priest wanted to immediately go home to the orphaned children. I was sympathetic to his grief Metropolitan Filaret(Drozdov). But in this sorrowful event, the spiritually experienced archpastor saw God’s indication of a new ministry for Fr. John Veniaminov: The saint began to convince him to accept monasticism.

The Metropolitan's proposal forced Fr. John thought deeply. Will he be able to worthily fulfill his monastic vows during the active life of a missionary? Who will take care of his six children? The whole year about. John could not decide on this feat: He went to pray to Russian shrines: the Trinity-Sergeev Lavra and the Kiev-Pechersk Dormition Lavra. In the meantime, the Lord arranged the fate of Fr. John: daughters were admitted to the Patriotic Institute, and sons to the Theological Seminary in St. Petersburg. And on November 29, 1840, Archpriest John Veniamiaminov was tonsured Metropolitan. Philaret as a monk with the name Innocent, in honor of St. Innocent of Irkutsk, to whom the priest prayed all these years, asking for help in his missionary works.

The next day, the newly tonsured monk Innocent was elevated to the rank of archimandrite. And then what Fr. predicted 12 years ago came true. To John, the Aleut Ivan Smirennikov: “in the near future, having sent your family along the shore, you yourself will go by large water to a great man and speak with him,” Archimandrite Innocent wished to see Emperor Nicholas I. After listening to the stories of Fr. Innocent, the Sovereign Emperor invited him to his children, considering it useful for them to hear about distant Russian possessions.

Innocent, Bishop of Kamchatka.

Meanwhile, the Holy Synod made a decision: to form a new diocese - Kamchatka, Kuril and Aleutian and turned to the Emperor with a request to approve one of the three candidates for the episcopal department of the new diocese. One of them was the arch. Innocent. The Emperor approved it. And on December 15, 1840, arch. Innocent was consecrated to the rank of bishop.

On January 10, 1841, His Grace Innocent left St. Petersburg, leaving little Thekla in the capital. On March 11 he arrived in Irkutsk. And on the first Sunday he served the Liturgy in the Church of the Annunciation, where he once began his priestly service. It seemed that the whole city rushed to the temple. Those who were unable to get inside crowded at the entrance - everyone wanted to see their fellow countryman, who had become a bishop...

At the beginning of May, Bishop. Innokenty left Irkutsk. He had to repeat the path that he had taken eighteen years ago as a young priest. His relatives were waiting for him in the village of Anginskoye. From here he sent his two sons and daughters Olga and Paraskeva to St. Petersburg. Daughter Ekaterina, who had just gotten married, and her husband, priest Ilya Ivanovich Petelin, went to America with the Saint. After praying at their relatives’ graves, they went up the Lena...

September 27, on the day of memory of the Apostle John the Theologian, Bishop. Innocent came ashore to his diocese. The whole of Novoarkhangelsk came out to meet the Saint. It was gratifying for His Grace Innocent to notice among those greeting the faces of baptized Koloshes.

Autumn and half of winter in Novoarkhangelsk passed in the first concerns of the Right Reverend Innocent about the new diocese. But as soon as navigation opened, on February 19, 1842, Bishop. Innocent began a tour of his diocese.

There are no words to describe the feelings with which the local residents were filled when they met their Lord. In 1838, he left his flock as a priest and, it seemed, forever, and suddenly now appears in the midst of it, invested with the highest spiritual power. There was no listener who did not shed tears of tenderness and joy at the short greeting of the Saint.

Great Lent Bishop. Innocent spent on about. Kodiak. During the first week of Lent, Aleuts from the Trekhsvyatitelskaya Artel came to the Pavlovsk harbor of the island to fast. Among them there was one toen who expressed a desire to tell everyone about his sins, not to be ashamed of anyone and not to hide anything. The saint opposed this intention, to which he said:

- If I was not ashamed to sin, then why would I confess my sins, even if it was before everyone?

Such faith of the Aleut, who fasted and listened to teachings more diligently than anyone else, touched the Saint, and he asked him in private:

- Why are you more diligent and more frank than your other brothers?

“Because I’m worse than all of them,” he answered.

How often do we hear these words in prayer before the Holy Chalice, and how difficult it is for us to even think about what this Aleut said so openly and simply!

In the fourth week of Lent, along with the Aleuts who had arrived to fast, their toen shaman arrived and told the Saint about his mental pain:

“About five years ago, the local priest looked at me and said: “They will burn you.” For some time now I have not been able to forget his words: I feel that I am afraid of something, and although I am shy, I think that the last of my subordinates is better than me. Tell me, will they definitely burn me?

His Eminence Innocent explained to the shaman that the priest was not talking about physical fire. but about the flames of hell, to which all those who communicate with evil spirits doom themselves. And his tormenting conscience, this voice of God in a man’s soul, will not give him peace if he continues to practice his craft. Having heard such an explanation and knowing from his own experience what it means to lose peace of mind, the shaman sincerely repented and received the Holy Mysteries of Christ during the Liturgy. Before leaving, he came to say goodbye to the Saint:

“I thank you very, very much and I will never forget you until my death.”

Recalling this incident later, the saint said:

– This is the most convincing proof that we all, even from the bell ringer, serve as instruments of God’s grace.

Here you can also recall the conversation of the Saint with the Kamchatka hierodeacon Nicholas. One day at lunch Fr. Nikolai sat facing noon, the sun was hitting him straight in the eyes. It was about the future life, and he asked:

- Lord! If God is immeasurably merciful, then how will he deprive some of his Heavenly Kingdom?

- Why are you turning your head and not sitting still? – as if not hearing the question, the Right Reverend asked him.

“Yes, the sun is right in your eyes and gives you no rest,” answered the hierodeacon.

“Here is the answer to your question,” said the Saint, “it is not God who will deprive unrepentant sinners of His Heavenly Kingdom, but they themselves cannot bear His light, just as you cannot bear the light of the sun.”

On May 28, the patronal feast day of the Church of the Ascension, the saint arrived in Unalaska, where 18 years ago he began his missionary work. The Aleuts he loved rejoiced like children. After the Liturgy and sermon, they presented the dear archpastor with a touching gift: orlets, extremely skillfully woven from tree roots and various herbs - rugs, laid under the feet of the bishop during church services.

Missionary work among the Aleuts continued under the leadership of Fr. Yakov Netsvetov, an Aleut by nationality, a graduate of the Irkutsk Seminary, who later initiated evangelization among the Athabaskan Indians on the Yukon River (Fr. Yakov was canonized in 1994 in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Orthodoxy in North America).

In 1842, Bishop Innocent began construction of the Sitka Missionary House—today the oldest structure in Alaska—with a chapel dedicated in honor of the Annunciation. Two years later, construction began on a new cathedral in Sitka in honor of Archangel Michael. Despite many responsibilities, Bishop Innocent found time to make a clock that decorated the cathedral bell tower. On November 20, 1848, he consecrated the temple in the presence of 50 representatives of the diocesan clergy, many of whom graduated from the seminary created three years ago. An interesting fact is that the 23 Alaskans enrolled in the first class of the seminary had to undergo a course of study not only in theology, but also in their native language, Latin and medicine.

Petropavlosk and the depths of Kamchatka.

In the fall, the Right Reverend arrived in Petropavlovsk, where, after many years of separation, he met with his brother, priest. Stefan Popov, who served in the small Kamchatka temple on the Lesnaya River. Nineteen years ago, Stefan, having married an Aleut, left Unalaska for his homeland. In Irkutsk he was ordained a priest and was going to serve in Anginsky. But his wife, unaccustomed to the Siberian climate, became very ill. Hoping to improve her health, Fr. Stefan accepted the offer to go to serve in Kamchatka, whose climate is closer to Unalashka. However, the priest arrived at his new duty station alone - his wife died on the road. So oh. Stefan began to live as a hermit in a remote corner in the north of Kamchatka.

Having stayed in Petropavlovsk all autumn and waiting for the snowy road, the Saint set off on dogs deep into Kamchatka.

On January 10, 1843, travelers arrived at the Tigil fortress, named after the Tigil River, which flows into the Sea of Okhotsk. In the old days, the fortress served as a guard against Koryak raids, but now it looked like a village scattered over a hill. Upon arrival in Tigil, Vladyka wanted to talk with the Koryak elders, who were roaming thirty miles from Tigil with herds of deer. They were sent for, and the next day they let it be known that the elders were coming:

– How to accept them? What should I treat you with? – the Saint asked his companion, Archpriest Gromov, a fellow seminarian and dean of the Kamchatka churches.

“Your Eminence,” answered Father Procopius, “perhaps you imagine them in the form of Irkutsk Buryat taishas - in brocade fur coats lined with beavers and sable hats?” No, they are no different from their relatives, they wear worn-out dolls and the same malachai. They will come to you without ceremony, sit on the floor and light their pipes...

The Koryak toyons, Avyava and Etsk, having appeared, turned to the Right Reverend with a single word, memorized from the Russian language:

- Great.

Then they sat on the floor and lit their pipes. His Eminence Innocent had a conversation with them.

– You have a medal, why didn’t you put it on? – the Right Reverend began, addressing Etek. Indeed, several years ago the Kamchadals living on the coast were in poverty from hunger. Etek, to help them, kept a herd of deer in this area, with which he supplied the starving people until they had a good catch of fish. For this he was awarded a gold medal on an Annin ribbon. But Etek did not agree to wear it for a long time, not understanding why he was awarded. These peoples have so little ambition and it was so natural for them to help each other in difficult times.

“I heard,” Etek answered, “that you have a lot of medals, and I didn’t dare put them on.”

“But you and I,” said the Eminence, “have medals from the same Tsar, therefore, in this respect we are equal.”

“I didn’t know that,” answered Etek.

Then the Right Reverend asked what kept them from being baptized? The Koryaks answered:

- Why be baptized? Is it in order to become the same rogues as the baptized Tigilsk Cossacks who deceive us, measure and weigh us.

It was bitter for the preacher of the Gospel to hear the words about how the pagans are turned away from the faith by those who, although they bear the name of Christians, violate the commandments of God, and instead of the light of the Gospel, they bring the darkness of sin.

“At least, don’t interfere if anyone of yours would like to be baptized,” said the upset Vladyka.

“We don’t forbid anyone,” they answered. That's how the date ended.

On January 26, the travelers reached the Drankinsky prison. It was the most extreme Kamchadal village in the northeast of the peninsula. Here stood the last church belonging to the Kamchatka region - the Church of St. Innocent of Irkutsk.

The next day, having gathered for a service in the Drankino church, the Kamchadals, their priest and the Vladyka’s companions prayed for him. From here the Eminence had to continue his journey through even more deserted places.

Here the Right Reverend Innocent happened to see one Tungus, who consoled him with his faith and devotion to God. Listening to the story about the difficult life of the Gizhiga hunter, Vladyka said with sympathy:

- For that reason, it will be good for you there, in eternal life, if you believe in God and pray to Him.

To these words the narrator responded with strong feeling:

– Tungus always pray to God. Should I even kill a partridge: I know that God gave it to me, and I pray and thank Him. I won’t kill: that means God didn’t give it to me; that means I’m thin... I pray to Him.

By his gentle manners and fatherly friendliness, the Right Reverend earned love among the Koryaks, Chukchis, and Tungus. They valued his advice and instructions, just as they valued the advice of a beloved and respected father.

In Novoarkhangelsk and traveling around the Diocese.

In September 1843, Bishop Innokenty returned from a difficult and long journey through Kamchatka and the Okhotsk coast. He traveled five thousand miles on dogs and partly on reindeer.

For the bishop's arrival in Novoarkhangelsk, the Company's board built a house for him. Soon he set up a school there, where he taught children the Law of God.

Rev. Innocent opened a seminary in Novoarkhangelsk and established Orthodox missions in remote corners of the diocese.

In 1846, Vladyka traveled across Asia - the Kamchatka diocese became larger in comparison with 1813: its borders southwest of Okhotsk now touched the Chinese border. Vladyka visited Ayan and the Uda region, which had just been transferred from the Irkutsk diocese to Kamchatka. Towards the end of August 1847, the Saint arrived on Sitkha. Soon ships from our various colonies began to assemble. With them came news from missionaries. These messages were amazing, and sometimes miraculous: by the power of God’s grace, human souls were transformed and healed. From the Nikolaevsky redoubt on the shore of the Kenai Bay, Hieromonk Nikolai wrote that the Kenai people willingly accepted baptism. What was remarkable was that all their shamans were baptized and, for the most part, diligently fulfilled their Christian duties and were attentive to the missionary’s teachings. It was known about the Kenai that they were a stubborn people: if they didn’t want to do something, then no one could persuade them. Many were surprised by the changes that took place in them after baptism.

From the village of Ikogmyut on the Kvikhpakh River, two hundred versts above the Mikhailovsky Redoubt, priest Jacob Netsvetov sent a missionary journal. He was a longtime employee of St. Innocent. Once upon a time, while serving as a priest on the island of Atha, the priest helped his current bishop translate the Holy Scriptures into the Aleutian language. This is the story Father Jacob told. On one of their trips to Ikogmyut, the local residents told about the trouble of the local toyon: his son was suffering from fits of madness. They began at a young age and at first were short-lived. The boy grew up and, when he was healthy, worked regularly like everyone else. But in the last two years, and he was already 28 years old, his condition deteriorated greatly. The madness became constant, he attacked people, ran away from home and became more like an animal in his lifestyle. From the stories of those who knew the sick man, Father Jacob guessed that the toyon’s son suffered from demonic possession. The priest advised the father, who had already been baptized, to baptize his son as well. If the unfortunate man ever came to his senses, then he should have talked to him about God and tried to persuade him to believe. After some time, the possessed man returned, and his relatives noticed that he had partially come to his senses. His father spoke to him about faith in Christ and baptism. After listening, the patient firmly said that he was ready to be baptized. From this moment until the arrival of Jacob's father, whom he had to wait for more than a month, the son of Toyon was in the calmest mood. The priest baptized the patient, and since then, for two years now, there has been no trace of the signs of the terrible illness.

From the island of Atha, a priest reported an equally amazing and edifying story. “When the priests spoke teachings about God,” said the Aleut Nikita Khoroshev, “then, or, one might say, I always did not believe their words and thought that they were inventing it on their own, and therefore I always remained in doubt. One day I went by kayak to the eastern tip of the island to stock up on food. It was in autumn. The winds kept us here for a long time. I became terribly ill inside and with bruises and lay there for a long time. Finally, I became so ill that the comrade who lived with me in the hut completely despaired of my recovery, and I also despaired myself: because I could not move either my arm or my leg. Thus, lying motionless in the hut, one evening it occurred to me: if there really is a God about whom the priests tell us and teach us that He is all-wise and can do everything, then He would heal me from my unhappy situation; Then I would definitely believe in Him, and would cease to have doubts about Him. With these thoughts I fell asleep in the evening and slept without being awake all night until the morning. This morning I woke up and felt that something had become easier for me. I got out of bed and began to walk without the help of others. At first I didn’t believe myself... When I realized that this was not a dream and that it was me, then it was as if my eyes were opened, and I began to firmly believe in the teaching. And since then I’ve been afraid to have any doubt about God.”

When he finished his story, I asked him: “Did this really happen to you, aren’t you lying?” “No, I’m not lying,” Nikita answered and even swore in the name of God. Then,” the priest wrote in his report, “I fell together with him in the image of the Savior and strongly thanked God that he does not punish us for unbelief, but endures for a long time and brings the sinner to his senses, and gives him time to repent...”

St. Innocent's koloshi continued to be of particular concern to him. The number of baptized ears increased. The Bishop was pleased that they accepted baptism without coercion or selfish gain: at baptism they were given only a simple cross and a wooden or paper icon.

With the blessing of the Lord and under his direct supervision, a temple was built especially for the Koloshes. The islanders did not agree to this construction for a long time, and the Lord did not hope that they would help. It was all the more gratifying that during its construction, the ears of the ears diligently helped in the delivery of timber and in various other works. On April 24, 1849, Bishop Innocent consecrated the newly built church. On holidays, the Liturgy began to be celebrated there, at which the Gospel, and sometimes the Apostle, were read in the Koloshensk language. In their native language, the newly converted parishioners sang “Lord have mercy,” the Creed and “Our Father.”

With the construction of the temple, the spiritual life of the Koloshes noticeably revived. During Great Lent, Archpriest Pyotr Litvintsev said, they fasted diligently, repented and received communion. On Holy Saturday, Father Peter noticed that one kolosh named Nikita was praying extremely earnestly to all the icons and kissing them, as those who wanted to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ usually did. The priest remembered that Nikita had already received communion by fasting, and sent to ask what this meant. The parishioner replied that he wanted to receive communion. Father Peter called Nikita:

– You recently took communion.

“I still want it, give it!” answered Nikita.

His desire was sincere and strong, and Father Peter did not interfere and, after confession, gave him communion.

No one except God knows how long man has to live on earth. Sometimes the convert lived as a Christian for only a short time, as if all the person needed to save his soul was to be baptized. This is what happened on Easter in 1850. Among the unbaptized Koloshes, despite all the efforts of the Russians, a cruel custom persisted: upon the death of a noble owner, his slaves, the Kalgas, were killed. According to pagan beliefs, a slave had to follow his master in order to serve him in another world. On the second day of Easter, for the deceased honorary old woman, at the request of her unbaptized granddaughter, a kalga was killed. The murder took place at the very moment when Saint Innocent was serving the Liturgy in the new church, where many koloshi had gathered. The murdered kalga, a few days before his death, on Good Friday, received holy baptism, and on Holy Saturday he received the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

The fate of the Kalgas worried the Lord very much. He even appealed to the Synod for permission to buy slaves from the Koloshes. The saint was constantly in labor and on long journeys throughout the diocese. In 1847, he celebrated his fiftieth birthday on the road; on a trip to Kamchatka in 1850, he learned about his elevation to the rank of archbishop.

To the diocese of Rev. Innocent also belonged to the Kuril Islands. There, as the Saint said, there was the smallest herd: all the Kuriles numbered no more than sixty people. But the archbishop also sent them to them in 1850. Innocent of the Evangelist. Having returned, Hieromonk Sergius told Vladyka that the Lord had shown this small flock the power of the Cross and church prayer.

There was no river on the island where the missionary had to spend the winter. and therefore there were no permanent residents. Those who came had to use water from the lake. But this water could only be consumed through something filtered: there were so many different bugs and insects in the lake. This was the case until January 19, 1851. On this day, when the Church celebrates the Epiphany of the Lord, Hieromonk Sergius performed the great consecration of the water in the lake as required by the rite of the holiday. From that day on, the insects disappeared. There were none until the end of May, when the missionary left the island. Then he went there again and the water was still clean.

On July 26, 1852, the Yakut region was annexed to the Kamchatka diocese. Soon, His Eminence Innocent moved to live in the center of the annexed region - Yakutsk. Here, on the territory of the Spassky Monastery, living quarters were arranged for him, which Vladyka found very good: warm and dry (apparently, if there was just a roof over his head, he would call such a home good, but if it’s warm and dry, it’s already very Fine).

In 1853, the saint's son, priest. Gabriel Ivanovich Veniaminov began to serve at the mouth of the Amur - Nikolaevsk, preaching the Word of God to the Golds, Mangunians and Neudals.

In 1854, Archbishop. Innokenty, not afraid of either the Yakut frosts, which reached 60 degrees, or the difficulties of a nomadic life, set off on a journey around the region.

Returning from the Amur to Yakutsk, Vladyka began to build and improve the monastic buildings. Together with other missionaries, the Eminence began to translate the Service and the Holy Scriptures into the Yakut and Tungus languages. For many years after this, the Yakuts celebrated July 19 as their national holiday, the day when in 1859 the first service was held in the Yakut language in the Trinity Cathedral of Yakutsk.

Crimean War.

Life of St. Innokentia carried on as before: in constant travel, work and worries. But alarming news came more and more often. The Crimean War was going on and St. Innocent closely followed military operations. A map of Crimea, sent as a gift, appeared on the walls of his cell. Events in the Black Sea influenced the situation in the Sea of Okhotsk. But military actions did not frighten the Saint: in 1855 he planned a dangerous journey to the port of Ayan, and from there to the mouth of the Amur.

At this time, under the leadership of Vasily Stepanovich Zavoiko, the residents and garrison of Petropavlovsk were evacuated here and the construction and strengthening of Nikolaevsk-on-Amur was underway. Following newspaper reports and receiving news from knowledgeable people, Vladyka assumed that the enemy fleet would not appear at Ayan before July. “Consequently,” he wrote in one of his letters, “I can go forward freely and safely. But, of course, it’s not safe to get back from the Amur.” Having considered all possible obstacles, in the spring he set off, first for a secondary survey of Yakutia, then to Ayan and from there to Amur.

On the way, in the village of Nelkan, he met his daughter Ekaterina, who was very surprised by her father’s determination:

- Where are you going? After all, Ayana is British.

“They don’t need me,” answered the Vladyka, “but if they take me prisoner, they will make a loss for themselves: after all, they need to feed me.” Saint Innocent continued his journey and finally arrived in Ayan on July 9, 1855, the day the British had just abandoned it. There was no one here: having buried several existing cannons, the residents left it even before the enemy appeared. They moved to the forest, thirteen miles from Ayan. The British tore the locks off all the barns of the port. The Church of the Kazan Mother of God was also open. Proclamations were scattered on the floor, calling on the Ayan residents to return to their homes. Saint Innocent, seeing such a sad picture, did not lose heart: every day he fully and reverently performed divine services in the church, visited the inhabitants of Ayan, hiding in the forest, and, in the absence of a priest, fulfilled all the requirements and even baptized newborns. But the goal of the Saint’s journey, the Amur, could not be achieved: the mouth of the Amur was surrounded by enemy ships. At first St. Innocent very much regretted that the late passage of the Lena, the mud and flood of the Aldana and May rivers, and the absence of coachmen at the May stations delayed him on his way. But circumstances and time again forced me to thank God for what seemed to be annoying troubles. The brig “Okhotsk,” which was heading to the Amur and for which Archbishop Innokenty and his retinue were late, was blown up by the enemy. But still, Archbishop Innocent had to face the enemy and quite close. On July 21, Vladyka performed a prayer service in the Ayan church with kneeling for the granting of victory.

At this time, an English frigate unexpectedly arrived in Ayan, followed by another. Having gone ashore, the British learned that the Russian bishop was here. They immediately went to the indicated house, but did not find the owner. Then the English crowd went to church with noise and shouting... In the middle of the empty church, Archbishop Innocent stood on his knees and, not at all embarrassed and as if not noticing anyone, loudly pronounced the words of prayer. The imperturbable calm of the Vladyka and the reverent expression on his face amazed the British, forced them to fall silent and patiently wait for the end of the service. Then, when remembering this event, Saint Innocent said with invariable humor:

“If the British had known what I was praying for then, they would probably have torn me to pieces right there.”

But they didn’t know, and the sight of someone praying so sincerely inspired respect. After the prayer service, the officers approached Vladyka and very politely began to ask how he could get here, what route he took? Then they reported that due to duty and wartime circumstances they would have to take him prisoner. To this the Saint, smiling, replied that he was not a military man, therefore, there would be no benefit from him, but, on the contrary, they would only cause themselves losses. Then he invited the English sailors to his house and, treating them to tea, had a long conversation with them through an interpreter.

From the conversation, Saint Innocent learned that along with the second frigate, the steamship “Barakuta” came and towed a brig with prisoners, among whom was the missionary priest Makhov. Vladyka began to convince the officers to release the priest. The next day after Vespers they again visited the Kamchatka Archbishop. The officers reported that their general freed both him and the priest Makhov from captivity, sat over tea the whole evening and parted with the Vladyka, expressing their affection to him in every possible way. No matter how sad the military events were, Archbishop Innocent perceived them as circumstances beyond his control, in which everyone performed his ministry. His job was to pray for the world and the people of God, to confirm in the faith those who accepted Christ and to enlighten those who had not yet believed. Therefore, in a letter to his son dated July 27, reporting about his stay in Ayan and the actions of the enemy, he wrote: “Now let’s talk about the matter: I know that about 2000 people came to us along the Amur, and at least 500 from Kamchatka; Therefore, now there are at least 3.5 thousand inhabitants on the Amur. And therefore, apparently, another priest is needed there, and I was bringing Zakhar Ivanovich Tyapkin to your comrade, but I didn’t bring him. However, I am very glad that there is a priest on the Aurora and, therefore, whether much or little, he will help you, and therefore I will be less worried about this... Tomorrow I intend to go back to Yakutsk and I am leaving this letter in Ayan, in case there is an opportunity to send him to you.” Before leaving for Yakutsk, Saint Innocent spent three days in the forest with the Ayan residents. Three enemy ships remained in the city itself, but the port remained intact: no buried cannons were found, and the schooner under construction was not burned. The Archbishop was worried about Sith, where the French squadron was heading. In total, there were about fifty enemy ships in the local seas.

Development of the Amur region.

At the same time, important historical events took place in the Far East of our Fatherland, which also deeply worried St. Innocent as an archpastor and patriot of Russia. The development of the Amur region began and the issue of the hitherto unpaved border between China and Russia was resolved.

His Eminence Innocent was an ardent supporter of the development of this region. He believed that on the banks of the Amur and its tributaries many Russians could arrange their lives with greater convenience - there was plenty of free land and suitable for farming. This means that Kamchatka and Russian America can be supplied with Siberian bread, and not transported from European Russia. But it was not the economic and political advantages of the development of the Amur that occupied the Saint. Having once taken upon himself the responsibilities of missionary service and bringing the pagan tribes of North America and Asia to Christ, here too he wanted to find not only new subjects of the Russian state, but also good children of the Church of Christ. Those who came from the Amur expedition told the Saint about life in those parts and how the Russian settlers lacked a temple of God and a priest. According to them, some Gilyaks expressed a desire to be baptized. The saint knew and had been thinking about this for a long time. Back in 1851, when he was passing through Ayan, three Gilyaks came to see him. As the Koloshes once did, Vladyka invited them to worship. The church service touched the natives so deeply that they asked to be baptized. Saint Innocent then invited them to think carefully and promised to send his young son, a priest, to the Amur. They thanked him, conveying through the interpreter:

- We will be very glad. We will love your son, and if he lives with us, many will be baptized.

Therefore, at the first opportunity, the Saint sent Father Gabriel Veniaminov and his young wife to the Amur expedition. Conducting them to this desolate, unsettled land, he blessed his son with these words:

- Go to the great work indicated to you by God! But be careful not to grow cold in your heart in working for Christ’s field! Die on it, and do not look back until you have fulfilled the duty assigned to you.

To resolve the issue of the border between Russia and China, rafting along the Amur was necessary, and it was entrusted to the same, like St. Innocent, an ardent supporter of the development of the Amur - the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia, Nikolai Nikolaevich Muravyov.

Two years after the first historical rafting, in January 1856, His Eminence Innocent received an order from the Holy Synod to travel to the mouth of the Amur. Soon he set off from Yakutsk to Irkutsk. Here, one of his main concerns was to find priests willing to go with their families to an unknown land: to preach the Gospel, build churches and open parishes. There were rumors in the city that the Chinese, not wanting to let our ships through the Amur, gathered an army of sixty thousand and spread it along the river. Many dissuaded the Saint from going, considering the journey unsafe. But trusting in the mercy of God, he decided to set off on his journey. At the beginning of April, while still on the ice, he crossed Lake Baikal and arrived in Kyakhta through Verkhneudinsk. Having celebrated Easter here, on Wednesday during Bright Week I went to the Shilkinsky plant, from where the barges left for the Amur. Everyone who was traveling with the Lord to the Amur had already gathered here. The clergy and their families departed on barges in May. And two days later, Saint Innocent set sail on a boat sent by the governor-general. He soon caught up with his companions, and they walked together for some time. The banks were covered with mighty coniferous forests, and occasionally the birch bark yurts of the local residents, the Manegri, were visible. The river abounded in fish, mainly huge sturgeon - kaluga, which was hunted by the natives. Before reaching Aigun, the only Manchu city along the entire length of the Amur, Archbishop Innocent left his companions and went forward. Two days before arriving in Aigun, he met with N.N. Muravyov-Amursky, who just agreed with the Chinese Amban on the free movement of our ships along the Amur. Fears of meeting with an army of sixty thousand were dispelled. The banks became somewhat livelier, and Manchu villages began to appear. Upon arrival in the city, the Saint was to meet with the amban and, not without interest, watched the ceremonies of the Chinese officials.

Below Aigun, the Amur flowed through the Khingan ridge, and the boat sailed for sixty miles in a rocky gorge. Having passed this gorge, the travelers again sailed along the deserted shores, where occasionally they could see the settlements of another Amur inhabitants - the Golds. Coniferous forests closer to the mouth were replaced by deciduous ones. Downstream, near Lake Kizi, Mangun villages began to be found. In the village of Mariinskaya, the priest Gabriel was waiting for the Saint, preaching the Gospel to the goldies. Then father and son sailed together to the very mouth of the Amur, where Father Gabriel’s flock lived - the Gilyaks.

In Nikolaevsk, near Fr. Gabriel the Saint lived throughout August. Here on August 1 his grandson John was born. On the 24th, a prayer service was held to mark the foundation of the new St. Nicholas Church.

As easy as the path to the Amur was, the return road turned out to be just as difficult and full of dangers. “The first attempt to leave Nikolaevsk on a small boat ended in failure: the ship was almost flooded by a wave, and the travelers had to return. Finally, at the beginning of September, Saint Innocent left for Ayan on the ship “America”. From here it was necessary to quickly go to Yakutsk, where a lot of work awaited the Bishop, but the early onset of winter prevented him. Having waited for the winter journey, on November 12, Vladyka left Ayan. Strong winds blew, such that in one place the cart overturned and he was seriously hurt on a stone. On the May River, due to the negligence of the guide, the cart in which the Saint was traveling fell into a hole in the ice, and he remained in the icy water for several minutes until people arrived. Luckily, the hole was shallow. But the Eminence perceived all the troubles and dangers of the path with complacency that had long been ingrained in his character: “Glory and thanksgiving to the Lord, who wonderfully guards me in all my ways! - he wrote, “the dress has long dried out and is worn, my side hurt for about two months and stopped, and they pulled me out of the hole a long time ago.” In Yakutsk, where Vladyka arrived on December 1, 1856, the decree of the Holy Synod awaited him: “For tireless exploits in the pastoral field in the remote region of the Fatherland, among a diverse flock, with fiery zeal for the acquisition of souls for the Lord, frozen in the darkness of unbelief, and for providing instructive an example of pastoral self-sacrifice for their salvation, with the achievement in this sacred matter of the desired successes through patience and varied labors, etc.” His Eminence Innocent, Archbishop of Kamchatka, Kuril and Aleutian was awarded the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky.

Far reaches, America, St. Petersburg.

Archbishop Innocent spent the entire next 1857 traveling. He went to the far reaches of his diocese: first to the Vilyui and Olekma rivers, and then to America. As it turned out, this was his last trip to the places where he began his missionary service. In June, upon returning from America, Vladyka left for St. Petersburg to participate in the work of the Holy Synod. The Kamchatka Archbishop spent four months in St. Petersburg. Settled matters with the printing of translations of the Holy Scriptures into the Yakut language. Vladyka was greatly consoled by his meeting with his daughter, nun Polyxenia, who came to St. Petersburg to see her father after a fifteen-year separation. On January 21, 1858, His Eminence Innocent left for Irkutsk with the intention of going from there as quickly as possible to the Amur. “Small is the world, but big is Russia” - one can recall a proverb well-known among travelers, following the Saint’s movements around his native country.

In 1858, the time had come for a historical event not only for Siberia, but for all of Russia to take place: the signing of the treaty on the Russian-Chinese border. Governor General Count N.N. went to the Amur. Muravyov-Amursky. An unexpected serious illness detained the Saint in Irkutsk, but without waiting for a final recovery, he left for the Amur.

Having traveled all the Amur villages , Archbishop Innokenty stayed with his son, Father Gabriel, in Nikolaevsk and arrived in Yakutsk in early autumn. A sad picture awaited Vladyka here: his cells in the Spassky Monastery burned down, and with them manuscripts of translations and scientific works...

With the annexation of the Amur region, Archbishop Innocent's worries increased significantly. New Arkhangelsk Bishop Peter (Ekaterinovsky) helped govern the American churches. An assistant was also found in Yakutsk: the widowed Krasnoyarsk priest Peter Popov decided to take monasticism and become a vicar bishop. For its dedication, Saint Innocent arrived in Irkutsk in the spring of 1860. The newly named bishop went to Yakutsk - to the place of his ministry, and the Eminence went to survey the vast expanses of his diocese. He was accompanied by a deacon, four choristers and two cell attendants, one of whom, the Creole Gavrila, served the Lord back on Sith. The saint traveled along the Amur. In Blagoveshchensk he gave the necessary orders for the construction of the bishop's house, which was promised to be completed by the fall. In Nikolaevsk, where I arrived in mid-July, I was delighted by the birth of my second grandson. Next he was going to sail to Kamchatka, where he had not been for ten years. However, contrary winds and rough seas in the Strait of Tartary prevented these plans from being realized. True, due to these unfavorable circumstances, the residents of De-Kastri Bay were able to meet their bishop. The port of De-Kastri stood in solitude: there were only miserable yurts of the natives nearby. The population of the port consisted of several officer families and hundreds of sailors. One day a ship was spotted at sea: all the residents rushed to meet it. Everyone expected to receive news from their homeland or fresh provisions, which were rare here. But what was the joy when Archbishop Innocent approached the shore on a whaleboat. He made the sign of a wide cross over everyone like a bishop. Those who met him rushed to kiss his hands, and others even fell at his feet, but the Vladyka, in his great humility, rejected these honors.

First of all, a prayer of thanks was served for his safe arrival, then the port commander invited the saint to his house. Everyone looked at the arrival of such a guest as a special mercy of God. From the first minutes he became close, one of his own: he asked about his family, about his needs, in one case he instructed, in another he supported, giving deep spiritual advice. The hosts especially remembered the evenings when, amid the roar of the waves, the raging wind and the rain lashing the windows, Vladyka, over a glass of tea, recalled his travels and adventures. The officers were assembled and listening to the venerable hierarch. The sailors stood at the door of the room and caught his words. Vladyka did not forget them either; he went around all the barracks, talked with them and reinforced them with his instructions. During the day he served and taught the natives. The three days of the Saint’s stay in the port passed like an hour for its residents. From De-Kastri, travelers had to return to Nikolaevsk and spend the whole winter here.

Meeting with the Enlightenment of Japan Nikolai Kasatkin.

At the same time, a graduate of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy arrived here, sent to serve in Japan, in the church at the Russian Consulate, Hieromonk Nikolai (Kasatkin), the future archbishop, educator of Japan, now glorified as the holy saints of God by two Orthodox Churches - the Russian and Japanese.

Knowing first-hand about the difficulties of the upcoming service, Archbishop Innocent received the aspiring missionary in a fatherly manner. He advised him a lot of useful things: he said that it was necessary to take part in the everyday and cultural needs of the flock, teach them crafts unknown to them, and try to heal them. An experienced mentor helped the priest in everyday matters. Vladyka himself cut out a new cassock for Father Nicholas and presented him with his award bronze cross for the Russian-Turkish campaign.

“Even though it’s not exactly in shape, it’s still a cross, and without it it’s not good to come to the Japanese!”

At the beginning of the summer of 1861, Hieromonk Nikolai (Kasatkin) went to Japan, and Saint Innocent, as soon as the Amur was revealed, left for Blagoveshchensk.

Returning from Blagoveshchensk, the Eminence again tried to travel to Kamchatka, and again bad weather in the Tatar Strait prevented him. On the night of August 29, a strong storm began. The ship on which Saint Innocent was sailing was tossed from side to side, everyone was in confusion and expected death. Together with the Bishop, Semyon Kazansky, a psalm-reader who had recently arrived from Moscow, was traveling to Kamchatka. During this strong rocking he found himself next to the bishop's cabin. At the next blow of the wave, the door opened. Semyon decided that Vladyka wanted to call someone to his place, and entered the cabin. He stopped amazed: amidst the general confusion, the crash of the ship and the roar of the waves, His Eminence Innocent calmly stood on his knees in front of the icon and prayed, reading himself the departure letter (the canon for the exodus of the soul). Semyon was embarrassed and quickly left. After some time, the Saint appeared on deck with a calm expression and began to give advice to the captain. The ship crashed, but everyone on board survived. When the castaways came ashore, Saint Innocent began a thanksgiving prayer service, during which everyone knelt. “Whoever has not been to the sea has not prayed to God,” says popular wisdom...

The Amur flock of the Saint already numbered twenty thousand. Among the new Amur residents there were many good Christians: having barely settled in a new place, they began building churches. Every year, during his trips, Vladyka consecrated two or three new churches. He arrived early for the consecration of the temple and always had a box with carpentry tools with him. He himself built the Throne, and the next day he consecrated it. In those villages where there were churches, Archbishop Innocent certainly celebrated the Liturgy, and where there was neither a church nor a chapel, there he held hours, mass or prayer services in the open air for the assembled people. After the service, he always talked with the residents: he taught them not only to pray, but also to work, and offered advice on farming, raising livestock and other worldly wisdom, even beekeeping. And he always presented parishioners with small icons and crosses. Golds continued to be baptized; through the efforts of Archbishop Innocent, a church and a school were established for them.

Vladyka Innokenty felt the approach of old age. His vision, strength and good health began to gradually leave him. He even wrote a letter to Metropolitan. Philaret, in which he expressed his desire to settle in retirement in a monastery. But the Moscow Bishop asked him not to leave his flock, to take care of his eyesight and health for the sake of serving the Church. “May the Lord tell you what is pleasing to Him, and what is good for you and His Church,” St. concluded his message. Filaret. This was the last letter from the elder metropolitan: in January 1867 he passed away. Vladyka Innocent had a hard time experiencing the death of Metropolitan. Philaret, after all, their friendship was connected for more than a quarter of a century.

Metropolitan See.

On January 18, 1868, an urgent message from St. Petersburg arrived in Blagoveshchensk. Saint Innocent was appointed Metropolitan of Moscow. The Bishop was amazed. He loved the Mother See, but never imagined that he would have to take the place of metropolitan in the ancient capital, and even after the great Philaret.

The saint spent the whole day after receiving the dispatch in solitude and prayer. The time has come to say goodbye to the last brainchild - Blagoveshchensk.

On February 15, after the Liturgy and prayer service, Vladyka with his son and faithful assistant Fr. Gabriel went to Moscow. Vladyka spent the days of Great Lent in his native Irkutsk.

During Holy Week, Metropolitan Innocent retired to the Ascension Monastery. He often and for a long time prayed at the relics of his heavenly patron Saint Innocent of Irkutsk. After the Easter celebrations, Vladyka visited his native Anginsky: he bowed to his native graves for the last time, blessed his fellow countrymen and loved ones, and, despite the ongoing thaw, set off on April 20.

In Kansk, Krasnoyarsk, and Yekaterinburg, the bishop's train was greeted with the festive ringing of bells. Everywhere there were cordial meetings with large crowds of people. An extraordinary event: a bishop from the remote outskirts of Russia was elected to the Moscow See. Many wanted to see him and receive his blessing. In Perm, for the feast of the Holy Trinity, the saint stayed for several days.

Next was a journey to Kazan along the Kama and Volga rivers. In Kazan, Saint Innocent was awaited by a letter from the Sovereign and the insignia of the metropolitan rank: a white hood with a diamond cross. The Bishop went ashore to venerate the relics of St. Gury of Kazan, who in the 16th century preached the Word of God to Muslims and pagans, and at the reliquary of his holy relics he placed the metropolitan hood on himself. Two days later, the honorary travelers arrived by ship in Nizhny Novgorod. From here we traveled to Moscow by rail...

And so on May 25, 1868, the Holy See was met by the Mother See. Accompanied by the ringing of bells in Moscow churches, Metropolitan. Innocent went from the station to the Resurrection Gate to venerate the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, the holy gatekeeper of Moscow. The next day, according to ancient custom, he was supposed to greet his flock and serve the Liturgy in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin.

Soon, the life of Metropolitan Innocent flowed as usual: he got up at four o’clock in the morning and prayed for an entire hour in his chapel. Every morning he attended the Liturgy and without his blessing they did not begin the service, he never missed a single all-night vigil. From nine in the morning and almost the whole day, the reception of visitors of all ranks and classes continued. There were many needy and poor people among them; the Saint often helped them with money from his savings. In the evenings, his grandchildren or his son Gabriel, his faithful assistant, sometimes read something for him. He could no longer read or write on his own: his vision was completely weakened. In the evening before going to bed I also prayed in solitude for about an hour. He went to bed neatly at ten o'clock in the evening.

The simplicity of Metropolitan Innocent was extraordinary. Priests and laymen, noble and ordinary people, came to him freely, often at odd hours, with various concerns and needs. The Lord treated everyone without feigned importance or severity. He did not like official proceedings with a stream of government papers: he settled many misunderstandings and quarrels peacefully in his office. In his attitude towards his subordinates he was paternally condescending, but he knew how to delicately put a proud man in his place.

In the summer, Vladyka often lived in the village of Cherkizovo near Moscow, behind the Preobrazhenskaya outpost. This ancient village once belonged to Saint Alexy of Moscow, who bequeathed it to the Chudov Monastery. The church in Cherkizovo, as well as in his distant native Anginsky, was consecrated in honor of Elijah the Prophet. In front of the church there was a large pond, and in the depths of a centuries-old linden and birch grove there was a bishop's dacha with a house church. The structure of the house was quite consistent with the character of its occupant: the rooms had simple pine floors, tiled stoves, and undecorated log walls.

Without changing his custom, the Metropolitan repeatedly toured the churches and monasteries of his diocese, the size of which, unlike in the past, was much smaller. Somehow, after another trip, they began to ask him about trips on dogs and compare them with his current trips in a carriage drawn by six horses. The Metropolitan laughed:

“To tell the truth, it’s very calm in the carriage; but here’s the problem: I just can’t get used to this peace. You feel relaxed and connected. Either way , as it happened in Kamchatka, you walk several miles, and even in a snowstorm - with what pleasure you will then sit on a sledge and fly on dogs! I somehow felt healthier. Air is a great thing!

The saint was always sincerely perplexed when people admired his apostolic travels: after all, he only had to get ready, and then they took him everywhere! In the same year, 1868, when Saint Innocent became Metropolitan of Moscow, another very significant event took place for him and for Russia: for political and economic reasons, the lands of Russian America were sold to the United States. The first and most beloved parishioners of the Saint, the Aleuts and Koloshes, became citizens of another state. But they remained and still remain Orthodox Christians: the bonds of this brotherhood are stronger and more reliable than civil bonds.

It was a joy to read to St. Innocent the review of one American official, Stepan Buinitsky, who visited Unalaska, the islands of St. Paul and St. George. Buinitsky witnessed how every Sunday and holiday all the inhabitants of the islands, young and old, went to church. In every dwelling one could see holy crosses and icons, and everyone entering the house made the sign of the cross and venerated the shrines. The priest was from the Aleuts - Father Innokenty Shaishnikov. Many islanders knew Church Slavonic and read and wrote in their native language.

But Saint Innocent was fading: his vision was getting worse, his strength was leaving him. He wanted to retire and settle in the Gethsemane monastery of his beloved Trinity-Sergius Lavra. However, Tsar Alexander II rejected the Saint's requests. The inaction forced by blindness, so unusual for the Lord, put him in a sad mood.

- Why do you think that you interfered with me? - he said to his acquaintances who found him sad. – Is it because I’m sitting so gloomy? “What do you want me to do,” he continued, sighing, “and I would like to seem cheerful, but I can’t: blindness weighs me down, I’m not used to sitting with my hands folded since childhood... And you, please, don’t be embarrassed by my gloominess, come to me, don’t What a savage, I have always loved and still love society and conversations.

January 5, 1878 marked ten years since the appointment of Vladyka Innocent as Metropolitan of Moscow. On this occasion, the Moscow clergy gathered at the Trinity Compound to congratulate him. They brought a richly decorated icon of the Iveron Mother of God as a gift, made solemn speeches, remembered and thanked for their efforts. After all, through his efforts, a school for girls from the clergy, an icon painting school, and an almshouse for poor widows and orphans were created. But the Saint did not like praise and always said:

“The credit doesn’t belong to me; many people worked with me.” This happened with me, but it was arranged by the will of God.

Testament and death of the Saint.

The year 1879 arrived. The Vladyka’s health was getting worse: due to severe dizziness, he almost could not get up from his chair. Anticipating the approach of death, he re-read the will he had drawn up long ago and ordered to donate money from his own capital to the church of his native village of Anginsky. The time for Lent has arrived. Without changing his custom, Vladyka daily asked to be taken to the temple for the duration of the service. On Sundays, he certainly received communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. I never stopped following current affairs:

– Are there any new cases? - he asked his assistant bishop. Ambrose four days before his death.

“Don’t think about business, Your Eminence, calm down,” the bishop answered him. Ambrose.

“It’s boring,” the once so active Saint said quietly, lowering his head.

During Holy Week, the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, so revered by Metropolitan, was brought to the Metropolitan’s chambers from the chapel at the Resurrection Gate. Innocent. He asked to be lowered to his knees and, having prayed reverently, with tears in his eyes, venerated the miraculous image. As those around him noticed, he became somehow especially calm. The next day, the sacrament of unction was performed on the sick person.

On the eve of Maundy Thursday, St. Innocent ordered that the Liturgy be served in the morning earlier than usual. Already at three o'clock in the morning they came to Vladyka with the Holy Gifts. He ordered himself to be lifted from his chair and placed on his feet. Then, standing in front of the Communion Chalice, he firmly and clearly read the prayer:

- I believe, Lord, and confess that You are truly the Christ, the Son of the living God,...

And he added:

“Don’t think I’m saying this unconsciously.” No, I apologize in full consciousness as I begin the Holy Mysteries.

After Communion, his face lit up and repeated several times:

- Thank you, Lord! I thank You that You have granted me, unworthy, to partake of Your Holy Mysteries in full consciousness!

In the evening of the next day, Vladyka asked to read the funeral service over him, then he called his loved ones and began to say goodbye to them. He blessed everyone and said a few words of edification at parting. When Vanya, his grandson, approached, he took him by the head and said:

- God bless you! Look: don’t offend anyone in life and you will be happy!

We read the discharge document again. The Lord fell into oblivion, then woke up and asked:

- What, have you finished reading already?

They told him that they had finished.

- Why don’t they say: “Amen”? - he asked. The reader repeated:

The Bishop crossed himself and said:

- God's will be done!

These were his last words. IN Holy Saturday On March 31, 1879, at the beginning of the fourth hour of midnight, the great worker and new apostle, Saint Innocent, died a quiet Christian death in the eighty-second year of his life. In the morning of the following day, the bell of Ivan the Great announced this sad event to Muscovites. Many Muscovites, friends and acquaintances of the Saint hastened to the Trinity Metochion to say goodbye to the deeply revered Archpastor and to pray for the repose of his soul.

- In the blessed dormition, grant eternal peace, O Lord, to Your departed servant, Your Eminence Metropolitan Innocent, and create for him eternal memory! - the deacon exclaimed, and everyone sang solemnly and mournfully:

- Everlasting memory!

Looking at the calm face of the deceased Saint, one involuntarily recalled the humble words of his spiritual testament: “I ask and beg you not to make any speeches, either before, during, or after my burial... But if anyone would like to say a word for general edification, then I ask him to say a word from the text from the Lord man's ways are corrected, indicating to me who and where I was - who and where I died - to the glory of God, but without any praise for me.”

Saint Innocent was solemnly buried in the Spiritual Church of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, next to the grave of his friend and mentor, Metropolitan Philaret. Years passed and almost a hundred years later in 1977, Metropolitan Innokenty of Moscow and Kolomna was glorified as a saint of two Orthodox Churches - the Russian and the American. And in 1994, his holy relics were found, which can be venerated by anyone entering the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

The Church celebrates the memory of St. Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna, Apostle of America and Siberia twice a year: on the day of his blessed death - March 31 (April 13) and on the day of glorification as a saint - September 23 (October 6, New Style).

Glory to our God always, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen!

From the work of St. Innocent:

“Indicating the Path to the Kingdom of Heaven.”

N No one without faith in Jesus Christ cannot return to God and enter the Kingdom of Heaven. No one, even if he believed in Jesus Christ, if he does not act as Jesus Christ did, can be called His disciple, therefore, cannot share with Him His glory in Heaven. No one can follow Jesus Christ without the help of the Holy Spirit. Whoever wants to receive the Holy Spirit must take advantage of the means given by the Lord.

It is important to remember that the path to the Kingdom of Heaven, opened to us by Jesus Christ, is the only one, and there has not been and will not be another path except the one that Jesus Christ showed us. This path is difficult at times, but it surely leads to the goal. Moreover, a Christian will encounter on this path such consolations and pleasures that cannot be found in worldly goods. The Lord Jesus Christ helps us to walk this path; gives us the Holy Spirit, sends His Angel to protect us, gives us mentors and leaders, and even Himself takes us by the hand and leads us to salvation.

If the path to the Kingdom of Heaven is difficult, then eternal torment in fiery hell is incomparably more terrible. If the path to heavenly bliss is difficult, then the path to earthly happiness is no easier. Look how hard those who collect earthly treasures work, how many sorrows, sleepless nights and deprivations they suffer. Or remember how much work you have done, how much trouble and money some empty and fleeting pleasure costs you! And what? Instead of the expected pleasure, you were left disappointed and tired. And therefore, if we take a closer look at the essence of the matter, it is clear that we are shying away from the Kingdom of Heaven, not because this path there was really more difficult than the paths of this world, but because it seems so to us. It is the devil, a skillful deceiver, who presents to us the path of salvation as difficult and the path of destruction as easy, and therefore many destroy their souls.

Therefore, brothers, in order to avoid eternal destruction, we certainly need take care of your future. We know that there, beyond the grave, one of two things awaits people: either the Kingdom of Heaven, or utter hell - there is no middle state - or eternal bliss, or eternal torment. Just as there are only two states beyond the grave, so there are only two paths in this life. One of them is wide and seems light - most people suit it, and the other is narrow and thorny - few people suit it. And the one who follows the narrow path is a hundred times happier. Brothers, if we follow the broad path and die unexpectedly, what will happen to us? Who will we resort to there? To the Lord? But we did not want to listen to Him, so He will not listen to us. Now He is a merciful Father to us, and there He will be a righteous Judge. And who will protect us from His just wrath? Oh, brothers! It's scary to fall into the hands of the living God! So, take care of the salvation of your soul while you have a favorable time.

Work hard to save yours while it is still day, because night will come when it will be impossible to change anything. Strive for the Kingdom of Heaven while you can go. Walk at least a little, even crawling, but in the right direction. Then in eternity you will rejoice for every step you take. May the all-merciful Lord help us in this! To him be glory and thanksgiving forever and ever. Amen.

This wonderful work was published in its entirety by our missionary society. It can be found at: http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/russian/king_r.htm

ABOUT to establish a homeland and go to remote places, deprived of many of the comforts of life, in order to convert people still wandering in the darkness of ignorance to the path of truth and to enlighten with the light of the Gospel those who have not yet seen this saving light - this is a truly holy and equal-to-the-apostles deed. Blessed is the one whom the Lord chooses and places in such service! But especially blessed is he who, with all zeal, sincerity and love, strives in the work of conversion and enlightenment, enduring the labors and sorrows encountered in the field of his ministry! For great is his reward in heaven. But woe to him who is called and appointed to preach the gospel, and does not preach the gospel! And even more bitter is he who, having crossed land and sea in order to convert others, makes those converted sons of Gehenna, even worse than himself!

And so you, priest, are assigned to a task for which you will either enter into the joy of your Lord, as His good and faithful worker, or you will accept unnecessary condemnation, as His hypocritical, wicked and lazy servant. And may the Lord God protect you from the latter, and may he give you the desire and strength to achieve the former.

While in the place of your ministry, you will have special and various responsibilities, firstly – spiritual, as a clergyman and preacher of the word of God, and secondly – externally, as a member of the management of society, and therefore for your guidance here I offer you instructions regarding those and others.

1) The first and real preparation for this is prayer, which alone can open the source of the highest instructions and bring down blessings on every good undertaking; and therefore, before any conversation with the ignorant, whom you want to enlighten with the word of truth, turn to God with warm prayer.

2) Always have a modest and humble disposition of spirit, and do not promise yourself extraordinary things in your business. Such promises come from pride, and grace is not given to the proud.

3) Whenever you get down to business, bring yourself to calmness and complete presence of mind; otherwise you cannot say what you know firmly and thoroughly.

4) Do not begin a task without preliminary consideration, and do not carry it out with absent-mindedness and carelessness: for your work is the work of God, and cursed is the one who does it carelessly.

5) Always remember that if the preacher does not have love, both for his work and for those to whom he preaches, then even the best and most eloquent presentation of the doctrine may remain without any benefit, for only love creates; and therefore try to have in yourself the spirit of holy love.

6) Make it a rule: when visiting remote places (those where Christianity has already begun), do not begin worship services and services until you have offered at least a brief teaching to the parishioners visited.

7) It is natural to begin preaching the word of God first where you will have a permanent residence; but if circumstances force you, or opportunities arise to be in other, further places, but despite the fact that you have not yet had much time between those living with you, do not miss the opportunity to be wherever possible, and offer your word everywhere and to everyone , according to age, condition and time.

8) Choose the time for teaching and conversations with foreigners mainly when they are gathered. For this, you can either go to them, or, if possible, invite them to you.

9) At the beginning, due to ignorance of the language of foreigners, you will have to use a translator: try to choose him from the most well-intentioned and pious people, and teach him the catechism in advance. It is better if you always have the same translator with you.

10) Christianity is satisfaction and consolation primarily of the heart, and not of the mind alone; and therefore, in teaching the doctrine of faith, one must try to act more on the heart than on the mind. The curiosity of the mind is insatiable, but whoever feels in his heart the need for faith and the consolation from it, will accept it quickly and willingly, and it will not remain fruitless in him. But in order to act on the heart, one must speak from the heart: out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. And therefore only he who abounds in faith and love can have lips and wisdom, they won't be able to resist her the hearts of those listening, and which will correctly indicate how, where and what to say. And so, notice and seize the moment of heartfelt disposition of those listening to you. This time is always favorable for sowing the word of God.

11) The way to teach the doctrine of faith varies, depending on the inner state of the soul of the person being taught, and according to age, and mental abilities. And in this regard, keep in mind that those with whom you will deal are, by habits and concepts, pagans and the lost, and by the degree of education, children. To this must be applied the method and order of teaching saving truths to them.

12) The order in teaching the doctrine of faith must be consistent with that which Providence itself has shown us.

The Law of Moses was given before the law of the Gospel, and even before the written law of Moses, the unwritten natural law was known, and its culprit is God the Creator and Provider. Before the very time of the Law of Moses, a solemn sign of the power, omnipotence and glory of God was revealed.

Looking at this great and universal image, establish your small and private business as follows:

a) From the existence and arrangement of visible things, show the existence (which, however, none of them seems to doubt) the omnipotence, power and glory of the Creator of the universe, His goodness, omniscience, etc. Along with this, briefly tell the story of the creation of the first man and the origin from him of all people and nations, who in this regard are living monuments and visible evidence of creative omnipotence and wisdom

Behind this is to set out the composition of man from soul and body, his difference from other animals, the immortality of his soul, and indicate God’s intention in his creation, i.e. bliss.

b) Then show the moral law of Moses as the natural law written by God, as a means to achieve bliss simply and briefly.
Speaking about the law, you can probably hear from the wild people themselves echoes and confirmation of the truths of this law, indelibly written on the tablets of everyone’s heart. Try to arouse this feeling in them and use it to your advantage.
c) When your listeners are convinced of the existence of God and the law, then show them the necessity of fulfilling the law, as the will of the Creator, and the visible consequences of fulfilling or breaking the law. As an example of this, tell briefly about the flood (the legend about it, although confusing, is also found among savage peoples), as a consequence of the violation of God’s law, about God’s blessing of the forefathers after the flood, and especially of Abraham (whose descendants exist even to this day), how about the consequences of implementing the law.
e) After that, begin the actual Gospel preaching as Jesus Christ himself began, i.e. a proclamation of repentance and consolation, or the approach of the Kingdom of Heaven. Try to bring them to a sense of repentance or awareness of their sinfulness. This can be achieved by convincing them that for failure to fulfill the law written in their hearts they will be punished both in this life and the future, that no one will escape these punishments by themselves, and so on. Here it is necessary to speak in such a way as to arouse in them the fear of future punishments; and when they are brought to such a feeling, then preach to them Jesus Christ the Savior, Redeemer and Hope of all people, as a comfort to them.
Bringing to a sense of repentance and contrition is one of the most difficult tasks of a preacher, but this state is one of the most important in the conversion of a person and is cultivated land for planting the seed of Christianity. For then it can fall into the very depths of his heart and, with the subsequent assistance of grace, bear abundant fruit. The Savior's Gospel to the Sinner

Anyone who feels guilty before the law, first and without any conviction, instills in him love for the Savior, Whom he does not yet know. And whoever loves Jesus Christ in this way will especially love Him, having recognized Him, and will believe everything that He said, and what you will also say about Him. Therefore, then the revelation of all the sacraments of our salvation will be both easy for the preacher and acceptable for those listening to him in such a state of mind.

f) Having demonstrated the need for the redemption of the human race and the greatness of God’s love for it, teach about the coming into the world of the promised Redeemer, His eternal birth from the Father (here it must be said about the sacrament of the Holy Trinity), the incarnation, the birth and earthly life of Jesus Christ, about His teaching, suffering, death, resurrection, ascension, always being with believers and His second coming, the resurrection of the dead (which, although in their own way, everyone instinctively believes), future life, reward for the righteous and sinners.
d) Finally, say that Jesus Christ during His earthly life had many disciples, of whom He chose 12, gave them special grace and power, and sent them into the whole world to preach the Gospel to every creature. And everything that they taught and that Jesus Christ commanded is written in their writings, which have come down to us and which are already known to almost all nations, and that all the good and simple-hearted people who managed to hear their teaching accepted it with joy, and followed and follow him. Such people are called Christians; and those of them who strictly followed the words of Jesus Christ became saints, and the bodies of many of them rest for many centuries incorruptible and so on.

After this, it will be very opportune to invite them to join the number of believers in Jesus Christ and through Him become one of those who hope for eternal salvation, bliss, and so on. This teaching of faith is enough for the first time for those who have not heard the word of salvation before.

13) In explaining the objects of faith, you must speak thoughtfully, clearly and distinctly, and as briefly as possible, otherwise your sermon will have little success. In presenting the teachings of Jesus Christ, there is no need to expand much here, i.e. do not mention everything that Jesus Christ said. But just to say that the whole teaching of Jesus Christ is that we repent, believe in Him and have unselfish, pure love for Him and for all people. In confirmation of His teaching, speak briefly about His miracles.

14) When you see that your listeners understand you and express a desire to be included in the flock of Christ, then offer them a) about Holy Baptism, as a mysterious rebirth from water and spirit, introducing into a new Christian life, and about other sacraments as means to receive the grace of Jesus Christ; and b) about how one who wants to be a true Christian and therefore benefit from all the fruits of redemption should lead his life.

a) The conditions under which those who wish can become one of the disciples of Jesus Christ are: renounce all their previous faith and superstition, abandon shamanism, do not listen to shamans, do not follow customs contrary to Christianity, agree to do everything that the new law requires of them and the Church, and confess your sins.

b) To those who wish and agree to fulfill all the stated conditions, say that entering Christianity is a great and important matter; and therefore entry into it must be solemn, where those who wish to enter must, before witnesses, renounce everything contrary to the Christian faith and make a promise to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and seal all this with Holy Baptism, which is both a visible sign of entry into Christianity and a means of purifying the soul from sins, and the door to accepting other gifts or means that impart the grace of God, i.e. sacraments of the Holy Church, which we will talk about here. Here it is necessary to show the dignity of the Holy Cross and the power of the sign of the cross, as well as in what mind and with what beneficial intention the Holy Church accepts and honors the Holy Icons.

c) As for the teaching about how a Christian should behave, at first do not expand too much, but only say that whoever wants to be a true Christian, i.e. disciple of Jesus Christ and take advantage of all the gifts of redemption, he must: 1) with faith, hope and love, devote himself to Jesus Christ and 2) imitate him in everything, i.e. try as much as possible to always act as He acted. Here it is necessary to briefly speak about the virtues of Jesus Christ mentioned in the Gospel, so that the entrant can understand exactly how he should act; for example, Jesus Christ forgave His enemies, so should we and so on.

15) Finally, it must be said that no one who trusts only in his own strength and in himself, without the help of God, can be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, and if Jesus Christ, out of His great love for people, had not given us His help, then no one would and could never become a perfect follower of Him. But now anyone who wants can receive help from Him. This help is the Holy Spirit, given freely; It can be obtained primarily through prayer. True prayer is the turning of the heart to God with submission, faith and hope. You can pray everywhere and always, but mainly the gracious help of God is close to you in church prayer.

16) This teaching is sufficient for converts. Further teachings of Christianity, such as: a lengthy and more spiritual interpretation of the Ten Commandments and so on, an explanation of the words of Jesus Christ as given in the Gospel, the teaching of the Apostles and (partly) the traditions of the Holy Fathers are no longer the subject of the original doctrine and spiritual food for infants in the faith, but aged, or at least growing in Christianity.

17) You must adhere to the dogmas of faith and the essence of active teaching so firmly that you do not say or allow anything contrary to them, even if you are threatened with death.

But it is necessary to show leniency to converts, like infants in the faith, regarding some ritual shortcomings - partly due to local circumstances, partly in anticipation of their confirmation in faith and life.

18) Observe fasts as they usually observe, i.e. changing fast food to lean food - the local residents are almost completely unable to do so due to their living conditions. Therefore, their fast may consist not so much in the quality as in the quantity and time of food consumption. And therefore, they should not be forced to observe fasts by changing food, but, firstly, explain to them the purpose and benefits of fasting; and then, as they are convinced and diligent, induce them to maintain fasting on certain days in such a way as to, depending on the circumstances, reduce the amount of food they eat and not take it in the early hours of the day. As for the days of Passion Week, and especially the days before Holy Easter, we urge everyone to spend them in possible fasting - both physical and mental, in memory of the saving suffering of Jesus Christ.

19) Listening to ordinary divine services, except for the liturgy, should not be made an indispensable duty for new converts; and therefore, during your travels to distant places, when usually everyone you visit must confess and receive Holy Communion. Mystery, - do not consider it obligatory that they go to church for a whole week, as is done in our homeland - but as long as circumstances allow, and only advise and remind them that during this time they pray in their hearts as often as possible God for the forgiveness of their sins, and also observed the strictness of fasting as much as possible. For them, teaching the word of God is always a better preparation for receiving the Sacraments than reading ordinary psalms and prayers, because none of them will understand what is read in church for a very long time.

20) When concluding marriages, relaxations of the strictness of the rules may be allowed only for the most valid reasons and extreme need, and what kind of reliefs can be granted, special instructions will be given to you. The small size of the local population, like in patriarchal times, will not allow the circle of kinship prohibited to expand far; however, the prohibitions laid down on this subject in the book of Leviticus must be taken into account with all seriousness.

21) Do not suddenly remove people from old customs that are not contrary to Christianity, but only explain that they are allowed to do so out of leniency.

22) Foreigners who did not accept St. baptism, if it is not foreseen that any insult to the sanctity or violation of decency may result from them, not only do not forbid to attend our services, such as Vespers, Matins and prayer services (if they so desire), but even invite them to them .

As for the liturgy, although according to the rules of the Church they should not be allowed to listen to the liturgy of the faithful, but since once upon a time the ambassadors of St. Vladimir in Constantinople, being pagans, were allowed to listen to the entire liturgy, and this served to the great benefit of the whole of Russia, then you, at your discretion, can provide similar indulgence, in the hope of the saving effect of the shrine on their still darkened hearts.

23) No marriages or agreements concluded before baptism should be considered an obstacle to the acceptance of St. Baptism. Also, no marriages concluded before baptism, excluding the most consanguineous ones (which, however, can hardly be found), should be dissolved and should not be included in the proceedings.

24) New converts - neither before baptism, nor at baptism itself, nor shortly after it - should not make, and do not allow their recipients to make, any gifts, so that this could not become a bait for foreigners or a reason for various tricks (as happened with some Asians ). And therefore, when baptizing, do not give foreigners any shirts or anything else except crosses, but put on them the very clothes in which they came to baptism, because in the eyes of many natives there, even a simple shirt is an expensive and seductive thing.

25) On this St. Antiminsa, you have the power to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in any place: both in a clean non-residential house and in the open air. But for this purpose, for many reasons, it is more decent to have a special tent, which should be placed in places that are as clean as possible. And in such places, convince the residents to put up crosses, which will then be both a sign of the place where the bloodless sacrifice was made, and a place of public prayer for the residents during your absence.

26) Stay more constantly exactly where it will be more useful and necessary. Particularly happy is the preacher whose presence the foreigners consider their happiness.

27) In teaching the doctrine in the above order, be careful not to begin to explain the subsequent subjects until all those listening to you, or at least the majority of them, understand the previous ones - regardless of the fact that this might slow down baptism many. The more firmly the foundation is laid, the stronger the building will be and the easier it will be to build.

28) Regarding the teachings of faith and Christian law, there is no evidence that is not confirmed by St. Do not use Scripture, much less invent false miracles and revelations, under fear of the strictest condemnation. But if where the Lord visibly reveals His power - either in the miraculous healing of someone, or in an extraordinary revelation, etc., then do not hide such works of God, but, having made a proper and impartial study, present them with all the evidence to your superiors.

29) In order to increase the number of those receiving St. baptism, do not at all use any measures and means that do not correspond to the Gospel spirit and are indecent for the preacher, such as: no coercion, no threats, no gifts, no promises (benefits, etc.), no vain seductions of any kind, but always act with apostolic sincerity.

30) Allow foreigners to the sacrament of holy baptism no earlier than they have been taught by you the above-mentioned objects of faith and law, and when they themselves have expressed their consent to this.

31) All peoples living in our Russian colonies are considered to belong to Russia; but the unenlightened ones of them are St. they do not yet know from baptism that they are under the powerful protection of Russia, and that the tranquility they enjoy is its blessing, and therefore you must instill in them about this, and in general, at every opportunity, try to present to them the superiority of our government in comparison with others, his selfless care for them, thoughtfulness, etc.

32) Upon arrival at the place appointed for you, do not at all say that you were sent from the government, and do not pretend to be any boss, but a simple wanderer who wants the true well-being of his neighbors and has come only to show the means and, if possible, to lead them to that.

33) From the first time you take office, by your behavior and virtues corresponding to your rank, try to earn a good opinion and respect for yourself, both foreigners and Europeans living there. A good opinion makes you respect, and those who are not respected are not listened to.

34) Do not at all show contempt for their way of life, customs, etc., no matter how strange they may seem to you; for nothing can so much offend and irritate the natives as open contempt for them and ridicule of them and their customs.

35) From the first date with foreigners, try to gain their trust and favor - but not with gifts or affection, but with prudence, readiness for any help, kind and prudent advice and sincerity. Otherwise, who will open his heart to you if you don’t trust him?

36) When teaching doctrine and in conversations with foreigners, always be meek, gentle, simple, and do not at all show a dignified teacher’s appearance.

1) That everyone, at holy baptism, through his father and mother of the godmother, renounced Satan and all his works, and all his ministry and all his pride; and he did this by denying it three times. Satan always and in every way tries to destroy a person, and his angels, demons, are also evil spirits, hostile to our race. All their deeds are evil and very hateful to God, these include: idolatry, witchcraft, fortune telling, superstition, pride, arrogance, rancor, envy, enmity, gluttony, drunkenness, fornication, adultery, and all kinds of impurity: love of money, robbery, theft, theft, foul language, shouting, nasty songs and everything that opposes good morals.

He serves Satan who fulfills his will with these and similar deeds. Therefore, pay attention, beloved, that you renounced all these three times at baptism and did not care about all this. Beware of returning to this.

2) Having renounced Satan, you promised three times to serve Christ the Son of God, with the Father and His Holy Spirit. So, at baptism you signed up for the service of Christ and swore allegiance, just as soldiers sign up for service and swear allegiance to their homeland. Therefore, one must serve faithfully, even to death.

How to serve Christ? – Listen: Have faith in Him and walk your life with faith in the fear of God reverently and piously; and to Him, as the Chief and King of all, if possible, conform to Him.

3) To fulfill your Christian calling, it is useful to remember the following:

First- the omnipresence of God; that God knows not only all our deeds and words, but He also knows our thoughts.

Second- remember the life of Christ and His voluntary suffering - that for the sake of saving man He wandered on earth and endured very terrible passions.

Third– remember these four facts:

Death, which cannot be avoided by anyone, and is obtained in various ways.
The Last Judgment, where we will give an answer for evil words, deeds and thoughts.
Hell and eternal torment, which has no end, awaits sinners.
The Kingdom of Heaven is prepared for the faithful who live holy lives.

According to my position, I suggest and exhort every brethren about Christ to keep this in everyone’s memory and to reinforce their household with this admonition more often, and especially to instill in small children, so that they know and remember their calling, and from a young age are taught piety. For all life depends on education; and parents who do not raise their children in the fear of the Lord will not escape God’s punishment!

I end everything written above with the words of the Apostles Paul and Peter:

“Let us watch and be sober. For...we...being sons of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of salvation, because God has not appointed us to receive wrath, but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that we may keep watch. whether we sleep or sleep, we lived with Him. Therefore encourage one another and instruct one another.”(1 Thess. 5:6-11).

“Be sober, be vigilant, for your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him with firm faith.”(1 Pet. 5:8-9).

Prayer to Saint Innocent.

ABOUT Saint Innocent of Christ, newly-minted saint! We fall to you, servants of God (names), and we pray: instill in our hearts your love, with which you were filled with God and your neighbors in your life. Pray to Christ God, may our sins, voluntary and involuntary, be forgiven, may we get rid of all enemies, visible and invisible, from all troubles and sorrows and all ailments. Pray that the Lord will be merciful to us, both here and in the future, and our fathers and brothers, mothers and sisters, and our children who have passed away from us, having become saints, may rest in a bright place: may those who stand and worship your icon, imams of you never sleep prayer book and primate for us to the Lord, and with gratitude and love we magnify the glorified and obedient you, in the Trinity glorified by God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.

Troparion, tone 1

Thy midnight broadcast went forth to all the midnight countries, as if they had received your word, which you have divinely taught, you have enlightened the ignorant of Christ with the light of the Gospel, you have adorned human customs, Russian praise, to the holy saint, Our Father Innocent, pray to Christ God for the salvation of our souls.

Kontakion, tone 4

You were a true and unfalse teacher: you yourself created the commandment of the Lord, you taught him and taught the children who came to piety, you admonished the unfaithful to know the true faith, enlightening them with holy Baptism. For this reason, the apostles rejoice, accepting the honor of the evangelist of Christ.

Orthodox Church in America.

ABOUT The vast northern expanses of North America were mostly discovered and explored by intrepid Russian explorers. Hundreds of Russian names over a vast area from the Aleutian Islands almost to San Francisco Bay, from the southernmost point of Alaska to the northernmost, testify to the remarkable feat of our people. Among the Aleuts and residents of Alaska, the name of the citizen of the city of Rylsk, Kursk province, merchant Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov (1748-1795), the founder of the first settlements on that land, is especially memorable. Establishing trade with local residents, teaching them trade, literacy, numeracy, training local residents as translators, craftsmen and sailors, Shelikhov simultaneously sought to instill in them the basic concepts of the Orthodox faith in the Triune God, in Christ the Savior, taught them the initial prayers, and sometimes baptized their.

According to his proposal, the Holy Synod appointed in 1793 the first Orthodox mission to Alaska, composed of Valaam monks led by Archimandrite Joasaph (Bolotov), which in September 1794, after a long ten-month journey, arrived at its destination - on the island. Kodiak. Here the missionaries faced harsh conditions: an inhospitable climate, foreign customs and food... But their tireless work bore fruit - by the end of 1796 the number of Christians in North America reached 12 thousand. In 1798, Archimandrite. Joasaph went with a report to Irkutsk, where, by decision of the Holy Synod, he was consecrated Bishop of Kodiak. But on the way back, the ship carrying Bishop Joasaph sank and everyone died. Of course, this was a huge loss, but by the Providence of God the most prominent missionary became the Rev. Herman of Alaska, the only monk in the mission not ordained. With his preaching and deeds of Christian charity and love, he attracted thousands of natives into the fold of the Orthodox Church.

In 1823, a priest arrived in Unalaska Ioann Veniaminov(later Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna). It is difficult to overestimate his contribution to the education of America. Possessing truly apostolic zeal and extensive knowledge in the field of ethnography and linguistics, Fr. John studied the language and customs of his flock well. A school for boys was opened on the island of Unalaska, where he himself taught. Father John even created a writing system in Aleut, which they did not have before, and translated many biblical liturgical and instructive texts into it.

After the death of his wife, Fr. John (in 1849), with the blessing of his confessor Saint Philaret (Drozdov), took monastic vows with the name Innocent, and soon his consecration as Bishop of Kamchatka, Kuril and Aleutian.

In 1867, Alaska was sold to America, and in the Russian Church there was talk about the abolition of the mission, but Bishop Innocent saw in this the Providence of God, arranging everything for the good. At this time, he wrote that in order to spread the Orthodox faith throughout the United States, pastors should be specially trained so that they have a good command of the English language, and thus Orthodoxy could spread throughout America.

In 1872, the episcopal see was transferred from Novoarkhangelsk to San Francisco; At the same time, English was introduced into church services.

At the end of the 19th century, a mass of Ukrainian and Belarusian emigrants arrived from Russia to America in search of a better life. They united into parish communities, erected churches and invited clergy. The Carpatho-Russians of the former Austria-Hungary also left their native lands. Experiencing social need, they left their native Carpathians for America. Many of them belonged to the Uniate schism, but the Lord soon raised up from their midst good shepherds who brought many into the fold of Orthodoxy. Among these good workers in the field of Christ, Saint Alexy (Tovt) especially worked. In total, in the period from 1891 to the First World War in America, about 120 Uniate Carpathian parishes reunited with the Russian Church.

In 1905, under the archbishop Tikhon(future Patriarch of Moscow) the diocesan center of the Aleutian and North American diocese was moved to New York due to the increase in the number of parishes in the eastern United States. At the request of the growing Orthodox community in New York, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church appropriated $20,000, and in 1904 a magnificent church was erected in the name of St. Nicholas. Through the efforts of Bishop Tikhon, the missionary school that existed in Minneapolis was transformed into a seminary, a Theological School was founded in Cleveland, a male monastery was opened in Pennsylvania, and liturgical books were also translated into English.

By 1918, the American diocese had four vicariates - Alaska, Brooklyn, Pittsburgh and Canada; consisted of three missions (Albanian, Syrian, Serbian), 271 churches, 51 chapels, 31 deaneries, 257 clergy, about 60 brotherhoods; had the St. Tikhon's Monastery in South Canaan, an orphanage at the monastery, a Theological Seminary, and church schools; numbered up to 300 thousand believers, published the “American Orthodox Herald.” The fullness of Orthodox church life in America already at the beginning of the century led Russian church leaders in the United States to think about the independence of the Church. In 1906, Archbishop Tikhon, in his report to the Pre-Conciliar Commission in Russia, recommended that the American Diocese be given broad autonomy. However, the dream of Archbishop Tikhon and his successors was not destined to come true then.

The 1917 revolution in Russia had a very painful impact on Orthodox life in America, and it became almost impossible to maintain regular contact with the Mother Church. In this situation, taking into account the decisions of the Moscow Council of 1917 - 1918 and the decree of Patriarch Tikhon on the procedure for the temporary administration of foreign dioceses of the Russian Church, the second All-American Council (1919) proclaimed the temporary self-government of the North American Diocese. In 1924, the Fourth All-American Council confirmed this decision and transformed the North American Diocese into a Metropolis, giving it the official name of the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in America. According to the decision of the Council, the Metropolis was to exist until the moment when it would be possible to restore normal relations with the Church in Russia. These conditions appeared only in the second half of the 60s.

At the 13th All-American Council (1967), the question of officially changing the name of the Church was raised, and the vast majority of delegates advocated renaming the Metropolis the “Orthodox Church in America” (OCA).

Based on materials from the magazine “Russian Pilgrim” No. 4 and No. 9; 94; Orthodox Calendar “Year of the Soul” 1999 (ed. “Syntagma”); “The Travels and Deeds of St. Innocent Metropolitan Moscow, Apostle of Siberia and America” ed. “Danilovsky evangelist”; “Innocent Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna according to his writings, letters and stories of contemporaries” I. P. Barsukov

Sources and literature

The works of Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow, Collected by I. Barsukov. Book 1-3. M., 1886-1888; Letters of Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna. Book 1-3. St. Petersburg, 1897. Barsukov I. Innokenty, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna, according to his writings, letters and stories of contemporaries. M., 1883. V. Alekseev. His Eminence Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow.-Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate (hereinafter JMP), 1949, No. 7, p. 36-44. Archimandrite Evlogii (Smirnov). The life and apostolic works of Metropolitan Innocent (Veniaminov) (1797-1879). - ZhMP, 1975, No. 3, p. 58-65. Canonization of the Apostle of North America and Siberia, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna Innocent (Veniaminov).-JMP, 1977, No. 12, p. 3. Fialkin V. Saint Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow, and his missionary activities - ZhMP, 1979, No. 3, pp. 70-71; No. 4, p. 73-77; No. 5, p. 73-77; No. 6, p. 68-77; [Skurat K.E.]. Saint Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow, in the last years of his life. - ZhMP, 1981, No. 9, p. 68-70; Okladnikov A.P., academician. From Anga to Unalaska: the amazing fate of Ivan Popov. - Questions of History, 1976, No. 6; His own. Innokenty Veniaminov.-In the book: Pioneers, M., 1983, p. 130-161; Demin L. Family of pioneers. - Voice of the Motherland, 1983, No. 33 (2385).

Biography of the saint

Saint Innocent (named John at birth) was born and raised in Chernigov in a family of religious nobles. From his youth, Innokenty Kulchitsky dreamed of devoting his life to serving the Lord. After receiving his primary education at home, he studied at the Kyiv Theological Academy. Then I went to Moscow and St. Petersburg.

I noticed the young clergyman PeterIand personally granted him the episcopate, and later the young bishop was sent on a state mission to China. But, unfortunately, the saint did not manage to get to the Celestial Empire, since the Chinese authorities did their best to prevent this and postponed the visit of the clergyman. At this time Peter diedІ , but EkaterinaIappointed Innocent Kulchitsky as the first bishop of Irkutsk.

This was precisely what became the key stage in the spread of the Orthodox faith in Siberia. The saint was an educated man, he was able to independently study the language of the local residents and opened several children's schools, where he taught the word of God.

Unfortunately, the bishop served in his position for only a little over 4 years. But this time turned out to be very fruitful, as he managed to build several churches, eradicated drunkenness among Siberian monks and was personally involved in the education of non-believers. One of the most famous decisions of Innocent of Irkutsk was the ban on burial according to Orthodox canons of those people who died from drunkenness and gluttony. They were buried outside the cemetery, just like suicides.

The saint himself did not enjoy good health, and the harsh climate of Siberia finally undermined him. However, the bishop never refused prayer and blessings to parishioners and celebrated services even in remote villages. After his death, Bishop Innocent of Irkutsk was buried in the Tikhvin Church on the territory of the monastery, or rather, under its altar, in a crypt specially erected for this purpose.

Canonization, discovery of relics and their location in the past

Several decades after the bishop's death, the church began to be renovated. So they discovered that the body of Innocent of Irkutsk had not rotted. This happens infrequently and only to truly pious people. The drying out of the saint's body and the absence of any signs of rot or mold not only on his body, but also on the inner lining of the coffin prompted the monastery ministers to consider the body of the deceased to be healthy and incorruptible. Since the saint was revered as a miracle worker during his lifetime, the discovery of his relics made the Ascension Monastery one of the most famous and richest in the country, as parishioners from all over Russia began pilgrimages to the saint’s relics.

Innocent Kulchitsky was elevated to the rank of saint, and his relics were transferred to the Tikhvin Church. For the laying of relics from Emperor AlexanderІ an expensive brocade bedspread with gilding was obtained.

Initially, the relics of St. Innocent lay in a coffin with a wooden shrine, but 3 years later, thanks to the generous donation of a merchant from Irkutsk, a specially made wooden shrine, decorated with gilding and cherubs, was brought from Moscow. Around the shrine there is a huge amount of expensive valuables brought as gifts by pilgrims.

Now the memory of the saint is honored several times a year at special church holidays, and in Tomsk there is even a separate house church in honor of St. Innocent of Irkutsk. Later, the Ascension Monastery was destroyed, but after the collapse of the USSR they began to rebuild it.

Loss of relics during the USSR and their re-discovery

The negative attitude of the Soviet authorities towards religion and everything connected with it led to the fact that at the beginning of the 20th century the shrine containing the relics was opened and the remains of the saint were taken away. For a long time they were considered irretrievably lost. However, in the 1990s, the relics were rediscovered. They were found in a damp utility room of the Church of St. Nicholas Nadein in Yaroslavl. Later they were transported to the Znamensky Monastery in Irkutsk, where the holy relics remain to this day. Every Sunday, the window of the shrine is opened so that parishioners can venerate the relics, and on special occasions, parishioners are given permission to see the hand of St. Innocent of Irkutsk.

Who should turn to the relics of the saint for help?

Saint Innocent of Irkutsk was known during his lifetime for his miracles. He not only carried out educational work among the local population, but also took care of his parishioners.

Bowing before the relics of St. Innocent, people ask for deliverance from bodily ailments, including drug addiction. A special counseling center named after Bishop Innocent of Irkutsk was even created. This is a closed monastery-type community that rehabilitates drug-addicted young people and their parents.

In addition, there are special prayers that should be read while bowing before the relics of the saint. With the help of such prayers you can ask for healing and help strengthen your faith.

Some miracles from the relics of St. Innocent of Irkutsk

The holy relics of Innocent of Irkutsk produced many miracles. Faith in the intercession of the saint was so strong that it was passed down from generation to generation, and many people, bowing before the relics, received what they wanted. And although there are modern miraculous healings from ailments, the most complete information about the miraculous abilities of the relics was preserved in ancient chronicles:

There are hundreds of similar examples.

In addition, visitors to the Znamenskaya Monastery know that several decades ago the icon of St. Innocent was in very poor condition. Almost all of it was black. However, after the rediscovery of the relics, the image on the icon began to gradually be updated, and now became clearer.

Where can you venerate the relics of the saint today?

The flow of pilgrims to the relics of the saint continues unabated even now, as sincere prayer and veneration before the relics of the saint continue to heal the seriously ill. Now you can venerate the relics in the Znamensky women's monastery in Irkutsk. This is a functioning monastery, located in the city of Irkutsk at the address: Angarskaya street, 14.

Homemade baking recipes with photos - step-by-step master classes

Metropolitan Innocent. Saint Innocent Metropolitan of Moscow

History of the icon

Where is the holy image located?

Description and meaning of the icon of St. Innocent

How does a miraculous icon help?

Prayers before the image of Innocent of Irkutsk

Worship cross and memorial complex in honor of WWII heroes

Saint Innocent Metropolitan of Moscow