In the city of Ivanovo, in its very center, there is a large old church made of red brick, surrounded by many intricate buildings. Today, there is the Vvedensky Convent, and once, during the years of Soviet power, this wonderful temple was adapted for the State Archives.
At that time it seemed unthinkable to return the cathedral under the wing of the Russian Orthodox Church. Believers wrote to various authorities - everything was useless. A miracle happened when Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov) got down to business.
The history of finding the Vvedensky Church is one of the brightest and at the same time tragic pages in the difficult life of a priest, and in our article we will cover this event in more detail. We will also tell you about the biography of Father Ambrose, about his tireless preaching and educational activities in the name of the glorification and triumph of the Orthodox Faith.
Amvrosy (Yurasov): biography
The future father was born in the Altai Territory, in the village. Lights in 1938 in a poor large peasant family. The parents were very religious people, they were able to instill in their son an ardent love for God from an early age. Boy's fatherdied in the war in 1941, and the Lord gave mother a long life. Shortly before her death, she accepted the Great Schema. Father Ambrose from childhood knew hunger, saw the persecution of Orthodoxy. As he grew older, he went to work in a mine, then he served in the army, went in for sports.
The young man was surrounded by atheists. It would seem that in such an environment it was difficult to keep the faith, nevertheless, the young man entered the Moscow Theological Seminary and successfully graduated from it, receiving the degree of candidate of theology. From 1965 to 1975, the priest served in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, where he subsequently received monastic tonsure and was ordained a hieromonk.
In 1976, Fr. Ambrose was transferred to the Pochaev Lavra and elevated to the rank of hegumen. He stayed there for 5 years and all these years he was engaged in a quiet humble service to God: he confessed to the monastic brethren, preached and conducted excursions for visitors. But the times were hard: the authorities threatened to close the Lavra and evict the monks. With the blessing of his confessor, Abbot Ambrose (Yurasov) is hiding from persecution in the Caucasus Mountains, where he leads a prayerful and hermitic lifestyle.
Foundation of the Holy Vvedensky Convent in Ivanovo
In 1983, Father Ambrose was enrolled in the Ivanovo diocese. His first arrival was the village of Zharki, remote from the center, where there were only five houses, then the priest served in the village of Krasnoye near the famous Palekh. And now the time has come when he was elevated to the honorary rank of archimandrite and assigned to a new place of service: the Transfiguration CathedralCathedral in Ivanovo.
Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov) quickly won the love of the parishioners, who, even in the regional center, were generally few, because godlessness reigned in the country. But all the same, a circle of true believers rallied around the priest. Together they decided to win back the "Red Church" (the popular name of the Holy Presentation Cathedral) from the atheists.
At first, the priest and his parishioners got down to business peacefully: they wrote, went with requests to the authorities, but soon realized that all this was useless. Another would be in place about. Ambrose gave up, despaired, but he decided to go all the way.
One morning, surprised residents of Ivanovo saw near the "Red Church" a tent and four women sitting next to them in monastic attire. These were the spiritual children of Father Ambrose, whom he blessed for a hunger strike in protest against the arbitrariness of the authorities. For that time it was an unprecedented step! The whole city was buzzing, newspapers and radio poured dirt on Father Ambrose, the temple was surrounded by police cordons. From all over the city, people flocked to the church to look at the courageous women. The protest lasted for 16 long days and attracted the attention of the world community.
In the end, the Red Church was returned to the Ivanovo diocese, and Archimandrite Amvrosy (Yurasov) became rector of the new church parish. On March 27, 1991, with the blessing of Patriarch Alexy, the Holy Vvedensky Convent was founded here. Father Ambrose became his spiritual leader and mentor. Over time, the abodegrew, the number of sisters grew to one and a half hundred. Father Ambrose to this day leads this monastery.
Batiushka's social activities
Today, the sisters and clergy of the monastery conduct a wide range of social activities: they visit drug centers and prisons, publish religious literature, speak at the Orthodox radio station "Radonezh", feed the homeless people, the disabled and orphans, work on the city "Trustline". And Father Ambrose (Yurasov) leads all these works with patience and love.
The sermons of the priest are so popular that pilgrims from all over Russia come to listen to them. And although the Father is an extremely busy person, he still finds time to receive and listen to people, to help with advice, to give consolation.
Spiritual Help for Prisoners
Not far from the Vvedensky monastery there is a women's colony. Father Ambrose jokingly called it another monastic compound. The father and the nuns constantly visit the condemned, bring them the word of God. For 20 years, the priest has been tirelessly visiting colonies, of which there are many in the Ivanovo region.
Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov) was one of the first to go to death row, punishment cells, and tuberculosis squads. He confessed, baptized and ministered to the prisoners with the Christian love commanded by Christ himself. With the support of Fr. Ambrose, temples are being built in the territories of the colonies.
Published works of Archimandrite Ambrose
- "Confession: to help the penitent".
- "As God is with us".
- "During fasting days".
- "Orthodoxy and Protestantism".
- "A word of comfort".
- "Monastery".
- "God bless you".
- "Vocation".
- "In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."
Closing word
How wonderful it is that on the Russian land there are such pillars of the Orthodox faith as Father Ambrose Yurasov! Reviews about him as a talented preacher, a perspicacious elder and a faithful Christian are abundant in many Orthodox forums. I would like to wish this courageous and active person he alth and long life, so that for as long as possible he would light hot lamps of the Orthodox faith in the frozen souls of modern people.
