Most of us know who Sergius of Radonezh is. His biography is interesting to many people, even those who are far from the church. He founded the Trinity Monastery near Moscow (currently it is the Trinity-Sergius Lavra), did a lot for the Russian Church. The saint passionately loved his Fatherland and put a lot of effort into helping his people survive all the disasters. We became aware of the life of the monk thanks to the manuscripts of his associates and disciples. The work of Epiphanius the Wise en titled "The Life of Sergius of Radonezh", written by him at the beginning of the 15th century, is a valuable source of information about the life of the saint. All other manuscripts that appeared later are, for the most part, adaptations of his materials.
Place and time of birth
It is not known for certain when and where the future saint was born. His disciple Epiphanius the Wise in the biography of the monk speaks of this in a very intricateform. Historians face the difficult problem of interpreting this information. As a result of studying church writings of the 19th century and dictionaries, it was found that the birthday of Sergius of Radonezh, most likely, is May 3, 1319. True, some scientists tend to other dates. The exact place of birth of the lad Bartholomew (that was the name of the saint in the world) is also unknown. Epiphanius the Wise indicates that the father of the future monk was called Cyril, and his mother was Mary. Before moving to Radonezh, the family lived in the Rostov Principality. It is believed that St. Sergius of Radonezh was born in the village of Varnitsy in the Rostov region. At baptism, the boy was given the name Bartholomew. His parents named him after the Apostle Bartholomew.
Childhood and first miracles
The family of Bartholomew's parents had three sons. Our hero was the second child. His two brothers, Stefan and Peter, were smart children. They quickly mastered the letter, learned to write and read. But Bartholomew was not given any studies. No matter how much his parents scolded him, nor tried to reason with the teacher, the boy could not learn to read, and the holy books were inaccessible to his understanding. And then a miracle happened: suddenly Bartholomew, the future Saint Sergius of Radonezh, recognized the letter. His biography is indicative of how faith in the Lord helps to overcome any life difficulties. Epiphanius the Wise spoke about the miraculous learning of the youth to read and write in his Life. He says that Bartholomew prayed long and hard, asking God to help him learn to write and read in order to learn the Holy Scriptures. And one day, when father Cyril sent his sonlooking for grazing horses, Bartholomew saw an old man in a black robe under a tree. The boy, with tears in his eyes, told the saint about his inability to learn and asked him to pray for him before the Lord.
The elder told him that from this day on, the lad would understand letters better than his brothers. Bartholomew invited the saint to his parents' house. Before their visit, they went into the chapel, where the youth recited a psalm without hesitation. Then he hurried with his guest to his parents to please them. Cyril and Mary, having learned about the miracle, began to praise the Lord. When asked by the elder about what this amazing phenomenon means, they learned from the guest that their son Bartholomew was marked by God in the womb. So, when Mary, shortly before giving birth, came to church, the child in the mother's womb cried out three times when the saints sang the liturgy. This story of Epiphany the Wise is reflected in the painting by the artist Nesterov "Vision to the youth Bartholomew".
First exploits
What else did St. Sergius of Radonezh mark in his childhood in the stories of Epiphanius the Wise? The disciple of the saint reports that even before the age of 12, Bartholomew observed strict fasts. On Wednesday and Friday he ate nothing, and on other days he ate only water and bread. At night, the lad often did not sleep, devoting time to prayer. All this was the subject of a dispute between the boy's parents. Mary was embarrassed by these first exploits of her son.
Relocation to Radonezh
Soon the family of Cyril and Maria became impoverished. They were forced to move to housing in Radonezh. It happened at about1328-1330. The reason for the impoverishment of the family is also known. It was the hardest time in Russia, which was under the rule of the Golden Horde. But not only the Tatars then robbed the people of our long-suffering homeland, taxing them with unbearable tribute and making regular raids on settlements. The Tatar-Mongol khans themselves chose which of the Russian princes to rule in this or that principality. And this was no less difficult test for the whole people than the invasion of the Golden Horde. After all, such "elections" were accompanied by violence against the population. Sergius of Radonezh himself often spoke about this. His biography is a vivid example of the lawlessness that was happening at that time in Russia. The Principality of Rostov went to the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan Danilovich. The father of the future saint packed up and moved with his family from Rostov to Radonezh, wanting to protect himself and his loved ones from robbery and want.
Monastic life
When Sergius of Radonezh was born for certain, it is not known. But we have received accurate historical information about his childhood and youthful life. It is known that, even as a child, he prayed fervently. When he was 12 years old, he decided to take monastic vows. Cyril and Maria did not object to this. However, they set a condition for their son: he should become a monk only after their death. After all, Bartholomew eventually became the only support and support for the elderly. By that time, the brothers Peter and Stefan had already started their own families and lived separately from their elderly parents. The boy did not have to wait long: soon Cyril and Maria died. Before their death, they, according to the custom of that time in Russia,first they took monastic vows, and then the schema. After the death of his parents, Bartholomew went to the Khotkovo-Pokrovsky Monastery. There, his brother Stefan, who had already been widowed, took monastic vows. The brothers were here for a short time. Striving for "the strictest monasticism", they founded deserts on the banks of the Konchura River. There, in the middle of the remote Radonezh forest, in 1335 Bartholomew erected a small wooden church named after the Holy Trinity. Now in its place stands a cathedral church in the name of the Holy Trinity. Brother Stefan soon moved to the Epiphany Monastery, unable to withstand the ascetic and too harsh lifestyle in the forest. In a new place, he will then become abbot.
And Bartholomew, left completely alone, called on hegumen Mitrofan and took the tonsure. Now he was known as the monk Sergius. At that point in his life, he was 23 years old. Soon, monks began to flock to Sergius. On the site of the church, a monastery was formed, which today is called the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Father Sergius became the second abbot here (the first was Mitrofan). The abbots showed their students an example of great diligence and humility. Monk Sergius of Radonezh himself never took alms from parishioners and forbade the monks to do so, urging them to live only by the fruits of their labor. The glory of the monastery and its abbot grew and reached the city of Constantinople. The Ecumenical Patriarch Philotheus, with a special embassy, sent St. Sergius a cross, a schema, a paraman, and a letter in which he paid tribute to the rector for a virtuous life and advised him to introduce cinnamon in the monastery. Listening to thisrecommendations, the Radonezh abbot introduced a communal charter in his monastery. Later it was adopted in many monasteries of Russia.
Serving the Fatherland
Sergius of Radonezh did a lot of useful and kind things for his Motherland. The 700th anniversary of his birth is celebrated this year. D. A. Medvedev, being the President of the Russian Federation, signed a decree on the celebration of this memorable and significant date for all of Russia. Why is such importance attached to the life of a saint at the state level? The main condition for the invincibility and indestructibility of any country is the unity of its people. Father Sergius understood this very well in his time. This is also obvious to our politicians today. It is well known about the peacemaking activity of the saint. Thus, eyewitnesses claimed that Sergius, with meek, quiet words, could find a way to the heart of any person, influence the most hardened and rude hearts, calling people to peace and obedience. Often the saint had to reconcile the warring parties. So, he called on the Russian princes to unite, putting aside all differences, and submit to the power of the prince of Moscow. This subsequently became the main condition for liberation from the Tatar-Mongol yoke. Sergius of Radonezh made a significant contribution to the Russian victory in the Battle of Kulikovo. It is impossible to talk about it briefly. Grand Duke Dmitry, who later received the nickname Donskoy, came to the saint before the battle to pray and ask him for advice whether it was possible for the Russian army to oppose the godless. Horde Khan Mamai gathered an unbelievable army to enslave the people of Russia once and for all.
The people of our Motherland were seized with great fear. After all, no one has yet managed to beat the enemy army. Saint Sergius answered the prince's question that defending the Motherland is a charitable deed, and blessed him for a great battle. Possessing the gift of foresight, the holy father foretold Dmitry victory over the Tatar khan and returning home safe and sound with the glory of a liberator. Even when the Grand Duke saw the innumerable enemy army, nothing f altered in him. He was confident in the future victory, for which St. Sergius himself blessed him.
Monasteries of the saint
The Year of Sergius of Radonezh is celebrated in 2014. Especially great celebrations on this occasion should be expected in the churches and monasteries founded by him. In addition to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, the saint erected the following monasteries:
• Annunciation in the city of Kirzhach in the Vladimir region;
• Vysotsky Monastery in the city of Serpukhov;
• Staro-Golutvin near the city of Kolomna in the Moscow region;
• St. George Monastery on the Klyazma River.
In all these monasteries, the disciples of the holy father Sergius became abbots. In turn, the followers of his teachings founded more than 40 monasteries.
Miracles
The Life of Sergius of Radonezh, written by his disciple Epiphanius the Wise, tells that at one time the rector of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra performed many miracles. Unusual phenomena accompanied the saint throughout his life. The first of these was connected with his miraculous birth. This is the story of the wise man about how the child in the womb of Mary, the mother of the saint,during the liturgy in the temple he shouted three times. And it was heard by all the people who were in it. The second miracle is the teaching of the lad Bartholomew to read and write. It was described in detail above. It is also known about such a diva associated with the life of the saint: the resurrection of the youth through the prayers of Father Sergius. Near the monastery lived a righteous man who had strong faith in the saint. His only son, a young boy, was mortally ill. The father in his arms brought the child to the holy monastery to Sergius, so that he would pray for his recovery. But the lad died while his parent was presenting his request to the rector. The inconsolable father went to prepare the coffin in order to put the body of his son into it. And Saint Sergius began to pray fervently. And a miracle happened: the boy suddenly came to life. When the heartbroken father found his child alive, he knelt at the Reverend's feet in praise.
And the abbot ordered him to get up from his knees, explaining that there was no miracle here: the boy just got cold and weakened when his father carried him to the monastery, and warmed up in a warm cell and began to move. But the man could not be persuaded. He believed that Saint Sergius had shown a miracle. Today there are many skeptics who doubt that the monk worked miracles. Their interpretation depends on the ideological position of the interpreter. It is likely that a person far from faith in God would prefer not to focus on such information about the miracles of the saint, finding them a different, more logical explanation. But for many believers, the story of life and all the events associated with Sergius has a special,spiritual meaning. So, for example, many parishioners pray that their children will learn to read and write, successfully pass the transfer and entrance exams. After all, the youth Bartholomew, the future Saint Sergius, at first also could not overcome even the basics of study. And only fervent prayer to God led to the fact that a miracle happened when the boy miraculously learned to read and write.
Old age and death of the Reverend
The life of Sergius of Radonezh is for us an unprecedented feat of serving God and the Fatherland. It is known that he lived to a ripe old age. When he lay on his deathbed, foreseeing that he would soon appear at the judgment of God, he called the brethren for the last time for instruction. First of all, he urged his students to “have the fear of God” and bring people “cleanliness of soul and unfeigned love.” The abbot died on September 25, 1392. He was buried in the Trinity Cathedral.
Veneration of the Reverend
There is no documented evidence of when and under what circumstances people began to perceive Sergius as a righteous man. Some scholars are inclined to believe that the rector of the Trinity Monastery was canonized in 1449-1450. Then, in the letter of Metropolitan Jonah to Dmitry Shemyaka, the primate of the Russian Church calls Sergius a reverend, ranking him among the miracle workers and saints. But there are other versions of his canonization. Sergius of Radonezh Day is celebrated on July 5 (18). This date is mentioned in the writings of Pachomius Logothetes. In them, he tells that on this day the relics of the great saint were found.
In the entire history of the Trinity Cathedral, this shrine left its walls only in case of a serious threat from outside. Thus, two fires that occurred in 1709 and 1746 caused the removal of the relics of the saint from the monastery. When the Russian troops left the capital during the French invasion led by Napoleon, the remains of Sergius were taken to the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery. In 1919, the atheistic government of the USSR issued a decree on the opening of the relics of the saint. After this unpleasing deed was done, the remains were transferred to the Sergievsky Museum of History and Art as an exhibit. Currently, the relics of the saint are kept in the Trinity Cathedral. There are other dates of memory of his rector. September 25 (October 8) - the day of Sergius of Radonezh. This is the date of his death. They also commemorate Sergius on July 6 (19), when all the holy monks of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra are glorified.
Churches in honor of the Reverend
Sergius of Radonezh has long been considered one of the most revered saints in Russia. His biography is replete with facts of selfless service to God. Many temples are dedicated to him. There are 67 of them in Moscow alone. Among them are the Church of Sergius of Radonezh in Bibirevo, the Cathedral of Sergius of Radonezh in the Vysokopetrovsky Monastery, the Church of Sergius of Radonezh in Krapivniki and others. Many of them were built in the XVII-XVIII centuries. There are many churches and cathedrals in various regions of our Motherland: Vladimir, Tula, Ryazan, Yaroslavl, Smolensk and so on. There are even monasteries and sanctuaries abroad founded in honor of this saint. Among them is a templeSt. Sergius of Radonezh in the city of Johannesburg in South Africa and the monastery of Sergius of Radonezh in the city of Rumia, in Montenegro.
Images of the Reverend
It is also worth remembering the many icons created in honor of the saint. Its most ancient image is an embroidered cover made in the 15th century. Now it is in the sacristy of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
One of Andrei Rublev's most famous works is the "Icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh", which also contains 17 hallmarks about the life of the saint. They wrote about the events connected with the abbot of the Trinity Monastery, not only icons, but also paintings. Among Soviet artists, M. V. Nesterov can be distinguished here. His following works are known: “Works of Sergius of Radonezh”, “Youth of Sergius”, “Vision to the youth Bartholomew”.
Sergius of Radonezh. A brief biography of him is unlikely to be able to tell about what an outstanding person he was, how much he did for his Fatherland. Therefore, we dwelled in detail on the biography of the saint, information about which was taken mainly from the works of his disciple Epiphanius the Wise.
