Patriarch Pimen biography. The strange biography of Patriarch Pimen

The future Patriarch Pimen was born on July 10/23, 1910 in the family of mechanic Mikhail Karpovich and Pelagia Afanasievna Izvekov in the vicinity of the county town of Bogorodsk near Moscow (in 1930 it was renamed Noginsk). At baptism he received a name in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh. The name of the great mourner of the Russian land for the baby Izvekov, as well as for his namesake, who was born more than thirty years before him in the aristocratic family of the Simanskys, became fateful: both parents brought them to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra in childhood, both in their youth felt a call to monasticism and received monastic tonsure in Lavra sketes, both were placed by the Lord at the helm of the church ship, both were judged to be co-crucified with Christ on Calvary of the patriarchate, and both were honored to be accomplices in the joy of the triumph of Orthodoxy - to be co-workers with God in the restoration of monastic life in their native country.

If the future Patriarch Alexy (Simansky) was formed as a person and gained experience in pastoral service long before 1917, then the entire conscious life of the future Patriarch Pimen was already under Soviet rule. Spiritual leaven that determined the deep religiosity of Sergiy Izvekov and his choice life path, became the Orthodox tradition of a provincial town and native family. In the Bogoyavlensky Cathedral in Bogorodsk, whose parishioners were the Izvekovs, revered shrines from other places were often brought for worship: from the Nikolaev Verlyukovskaya Hermitage - the icon “Kissing of Christ by Judas”, from the Trinity Lavra - the image of St. Sergius, from the Zvenigorod Savvin Monastery - the icon of St. Savva Storozhevsky, from Bronnitsy - the Jerusalem icon of the Mother of God. In the Izvekov family, the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was especially revered, in front of which a lamp was always glowing and Pelagia Afanasievna prayed fervently for her son. The future Patriarch carried reverence for the shrine and warm love for the Mother of God throughout his life, and his enthronement took place precisely on the day of the celebration of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God on June 3 (N.S.), 1971.

In the memory of Patriarch Pimen, his first visit to the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, where he, eight years old, was brought by his mother for the first confession and the first communion, is forever imprinted. The taste of the heart of the future monk was brought up by reading spiritual books, the love for which was instilled in him by his parent, the lessons of the excellent teacher and wife of the father of the dean Anna Andreevna Borisova, and the boy’s personal communication with the clergy of Bogorodsk.

In 1923, the schoolboy Sergius Izvekov, who had a beautiful voice, was invited to sing in the Episcopal choir of the Epiphany Cathedral, and here he underwent theoretical training under the guidance of Professor Alexander Vorontsov and his assistant Evgeny Diaghilev, so that soon he himself led the choir of his peers during pilgrimage trips to the saints. places in central Russia. After graduating from school in 1925, the young man moved to Moscow and soon in the Sretensky Monastery was tonsured into a cassock with the name of Plato. In 1926 he was already the director of the youth choir at the church of St. Pimen the Great and carried out the choir obedience there until 1931.

In 1927, on the day of the uncovering of the relics of St. Demetrius of Rostov (October 4, New Style), the cassock monk Platon will become a mantle monk in the monastery of the Lavra in honor of the Holy Spirit Paraclete, which had not yet been dispersed. Thirty years later, in a word before his episcopal consecration on November 16, 1957, Archimandrite Pimen recalled this unforgettable event with heartfelt tenderness: the steps of my monastic probing, “I put everything into account, so that I can acquire Christ.” Here I was satiated from the sweet meal of conversations and instructions, filled with deep wisdom, great experience and spiritual disposition, always loving and blessed ever-memorable governor of the Lavra, Archimandrite Kronid, who sowed many good seeds in my soul. Soon the deserts of the Paraclete ceased to exist, the brethren were dispersed. Monk Pimen continues to carry out the choir obedience to the regent in the Moscow church of St. Pimen the Great, and then in the Cathedral of the Epiphany Dorogomilovsky Cathedral. He takes exams for the course of the theological school. Examinations are taken by an authoritative commission chaired by Archpriest Alexander Zverev. On July 16 (3), 1931, on the day of memory of St. Philip of Moscow, Archbishop Philip (Gumilevsky) of Zvenigorod ordained monk Pimen to the hierodeacon, and six months later, on January 25 (12), 1932, to the hieromonk in the same Epiphany Dorogomilovsky Cathedral. For several years, Hieromonk Pimen continued to lead church choirs in Moscow churches. Patriarch Pimen will later say about his understanding of church vocal art as an exponent of deep prayer: “We sometimes say that the chants of the Russian Orthodox Church"prayed". This is a profound truth, for prayer and singing penetrate each other, and no church melody exists by itself, but only in connection with the text of the prayer. Singing brings into the church service an art that comes from the heart, having its origins in ancient culture, religious and national, understandable to our believing people in all its generations. We carefully preserve the old church chants: Znamenny, Kievan, Greek, Bulgarian and others. We also keep with gratitude the works of Bortnyansky, Vedel, Archpriest Pyotr Turchaninov, Lvov, Tchaikovsky<…>and many other Russian composers who have invested their genius in religious music. “Our church conductors must necessarily understand the texts of sacred hymns very well in order to be able to single out places that are more important in meaning.”

The acquaintance of the future Patriarch with the famous artist Pavel Dmitrievich Korin, who depicted Hieromonk Pimen in his masterpiece “Departing Rus'”, also dates back to the 1930s. V. Narcissov, close to the Korin family, kept invaluable memories of the process of creating the picture: “Among the most spiritual images of the famous Korinsky “Requiem” (also known as “Departing Russia”), one of the two huge studies, which the artist himself called “bass- profundo". The study is called “Two”; depicted - a young hieromonk and a bishop. However, the attention of the audience is invariably riveted to the image of the hieromonk, looking at us with inspiration from the canvas. The spiritual power exuded by this image is evident; the figure of the bishop serves only as a background for him. In the guise of an ordinary hieromonk in those days, the features of the future Patriarch Pimen (Izvekov) are easily guessed. The ideological and compositional center of the whole huge picture is the triumvirate of the Patriarchs - these are the pillars of Russian Orthodoxy of the 20th century: His Holiness Tikhon, Sergius, Alexy, who fed the flock of Russia from 1917 to 1970. It was necessary to be Pavel Korin in order to see the fourth Patriarch in the image of the 25-year-old hieromonk Pimen in 1935, putting him in fact at the forefront of a grandiose multi-figure composition<…>Hieromonk Pimen came to the workshop on Pirogovka. Completely obeying the will of the artist, he froze, posing. It was not easy to write this unusual, then very emotional nature; the sketch required many sessions. Now it is difficult to imagine the living conditions of the Orthodox clergy of those days in Russia, especially the monastics. The life, or rather, the life of the future Patriarch, was no exception - it was illegal<…>

Unfortunately, it is not known exactly when and how the artist met the future Patriarch. One of Pavel Korin's notebooks contains a unique drawing from the 1920s: an image of a young monk conducting a choir. The drawing is signed by the artist himself: “Young monk. Regent. Church of St. blissful Maxim of Moscow, miracle worker, on Varvarka. Vespers. November 10/23, 1926. Pavel Korin. The hand of the artist's widow in the annotation made the inscription: "The future Metropolitan of Krutitsy and Kolomna Pimen", and even later added: "then the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia ...".

Over the years, the friendship between the artist and the future Primate and their mutual affection grew. Meetings, at least at home, were not frequent, but therefore did not become commonplace. We met in Peredelkino, at the dacha of mutual friends Georgievsky<…>and the wife of Korina visited the residence of Metropolitan Pimen in the Lopukhin chambers of the Novodevichy Convent.

Great Patriotic War 1941–45 found hieromonk Pimen in places of deprivation of liberty, from where, at his own request, he was sent to the front and served in the army as a signalman. The unit to which he belonged was surrounded. Salvation came, according to the words of the future Patriarch, from the Mother of God herself: he saw a weeping woman suddenly appear on the path, came up to ask about the cause of the tears and heard: “Go straight along this path and you will be saved.” The military commander, to whom Father Pimen conveyed what was said, heeded the advice and the soldiers really left the encirclement.

Soon after the end of the Great War, such a fruitful for the Church and so intense and laborious for him administrative and economic activity hieromonk, abbot, archimandrite, bishop and, finally, Patriarch Pimen. The end of the war found Hieromonk Pimen a priest of the Annunciation Cathedral in the city of Murom, Vladimir diocese. In 1946 he was transferred to the Odessa diocese, where he carried the obedience of the treasurer of the Odessa Eliinsky monastery, assistant dean of the monasteries of the diocese, teacher of the Odessa Theological Seminary and others. In December 1947, Hieromonk Pimen was awarded the rank of abbot with the laying of a cross with decorations. In the same year, he moved to the Rostov diocese, where he served as secretary to the bishop, was a member of the diocesan council and the sacristan of the Cathedral in honor of the Nativity Holy Mother of God. The talent of Father Pimen to bring order and deanery everywhere did not go unnoticed by the highest hierarchy: at the end of 1949, by decree of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy (Simansky), Abbot Pimen was appointed abbot of the Pskov-Caves Monastery.

The former cell-attendant of Patriarch Pimen, the late Bishop of Novosibirsk Sergius (Sokolov), in his book shares the memories of His Holiness himself about his rectorship at the Pskov-Caves Monastery: “The news of the new appointment took him by surprise. Knowing nothing about the monastery in the city of Pechory, somewhere on the border of Russia and Estonia, in an area where recently there were battles and there was a lot of destruction, he was very upset by the upcoming changes in his life. But on one of these days, a rare icon was given to him as a gift from unknown persons. What was his surprise when he saw before him the image of the “Kissing of Judas”. “I took this event as God's blessing sent to me,” His Holiness said. “All my doubts and fears have disappeared.” There was a lot of work ahead, connected with the establishment of a statutory life in the monastery, the construction of destroyed temples, rooms and walls. However, what the new abbot of the monastery had to face, many times exceeded his worst fears, and, of course, without the help of God, it was hardly possible to achieve any positive results.

The problems were both internal and external.<…>The charter of the monastery does not allow a monk to have personal property. The promise of non-possession<…>is one of the basic principles of monastic life. A return to these principles is the first thing that the new hegumen of the monastery could do with great difficulty.<…>in the situation in which the young abbot found himself, it was impossible to achieve anything by force and it was necessary to act first of all by his own example and reminding the brethren of one of the main gospel commandments that it is difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Another problem that was constantly on the agenda was the burning hatred of the secular authorities for the monastery, which resulted in both constant petty but annoying conflicts and regular attempts to close the monastery.<…>

... At the exhausting chores on the monastery lands, the governor Pimen, as he himself said, "undermined his health and got diabetes" .

We now have the opportunity to look at the Pskov-Caves Monastery of those years not only through the eyes of the future Patriarch, but also through the eyes of Archpriest Evgeny Peleshev, who at that time was a novice of the monastery:

“Father Pimen came to us from Rostov-on-Don. For four months he lived under Bishop Vladimir, gaining economic knowledge and experience. After all, our monastery was “by profile” agricultural, and therefore its abbot needed peasant skills. Father Pimen was not familiar with this side of life, but thanks to inquisitive mind and practicality, he mastered the basics in a year Agriculture and was well versed in the needs and affairs of the monastery.

But his main merit was, of course, in the priesthood. He served in the church (and especially the Liturgy) with such inspiration that we, monks and parishioners, could pray and pray endlessly. You could listen to any of his sermons, enjoying every phrase<…>

Pilgrims immediately went to Father Pimen from Rostov. And then the fame of the monastery and its abbot spread throughout Russia, and pilgrims, especially in summer, began to gather in hundreds, and later thousands<…>

It was very easy to get to the new viceroy. We did not have any strictness at that time. It was necessary - you would run to the rector's building, tell the cell attendant Father Cornelius that you urgently need to see the father of the viceroy - and in a minute you already take a blessing from your boss and lay out all your worries to him<…>

And the people loved him for his wonderful spiritual services, and especially for his amazing sermons. Churches, when he served, were always crowded with worshipers, and even completely non-church, unbelieving people came to listen to his sermons.

In addition to his exceptional merits as a clergyman, hegumen Pimen was a good organizer and business executive. He delved into every matter, he could be seen daily at all the working facilities of the monastery<…>

I remember when we manually harvested rye with sickles, Father Pimen came up to me and asked: “Zhenya, teach me how to harvest!”. He took a sickle and, with my help, of course, learned to reap with a sickle, thus showing his great industriousness and humility. On Easter, he climbed the bell tower and asked the bell ringers to teach him how to chime.

<…>At that time, Father Pimen was still very young, he was barely forty years old. The only drawback of his health was a disease of the spine (a consequence of a front-line wound), which, of course, interfered with his physical work. But, despite this, he tried to take part in any, the most difficult monastic obedience.

In March of the fiftieth year, the monastery received good news: from Moscow, from the Council of Ministers, permission came to purchase a GAZ-51 truck. For the car it was necessary to go to the factory in the city of Gorky. And so Father Pimen, together with the novice Michael, the main driver of the monastery, went there by train. Their trip took a whole week.

<…>In the same year, on the day of Holy Pascha, Patriarch Alexy I conferred the rank of Archimandrite on Hegumen Pimen. During the Easter week, Father Pimen went to Leningrad, where Metropolitan Georgy elevated him to a new rank.

In the miter, our father Pimen became quite magnificent. He was wonderful and talented in everything. He compiled, for example, an akathist to all the venerable fathers and mothers Vassa of Pskov-Caves. This akathist was read in the monastery every Wednesday.

In 1954, the abbot of the Pskov-Caves Monastery became the abbot of the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra. Here, as in previous obediences, his talent as a benefactor of church life and God-given gift of prayer, priestly service and preaching of the Word of God showed itself to the full extent. Through the care of Archimandrite Pimen, the Intercession Church at the Moscow Theological Academy was restored, and two new chapels were erected (in honor of Reverend Seraphim Sarovsky and in honor of St. Joasaph of Belgorod) in the refectory of the St. Sergius Church of the Lavra. And during the Lavra services, the voice of the viceroy's father, an indefatigable worker and preacher, sounded non-indolent.

Thirty years after being tonsured a monk, in November 1957, Archimandrite Pimen became Bishop Pimen, entered his thirty-year hierarchical path, first as Bishop of Balta, Vicar of the Odessa Diocese, then within a year as Bishop, and from 1960 as Archbishop of Dmitrovsky, vicar of the Moscow diocese, manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate and permanent member of the Holy Synod of the Archbishop of Tula and Belevsky, Metropolitan of Leningrad and Ladoga, Metropolitan of Krutitsa, Patriarchal Locum Tenens, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. The rapidly expanding field of activity of Archbishop Pimen had different aspects - administrative inside, and externally - ecclesiastical and spiritual and pastoral. We are introduced to the first of them by reports, reports, messages, speeches at sessions, conferences, meetings, congresses, meetings, at receptions during official trips; his sermons and the grateful hearts of his flock speak of the second. At all levels of the church hierarchy, Monk Pimen remained Monk Pimen, a faithful son of the tradition of Orthodox piety imbibed with his mother’s milk, an ardent prayer book and a zealous admirer of the Mother of God. This is how Archimandrite Pimen appears at his nomination as Bishop of Balta on November 16, 1957 (N.S.), looking with his mental eye at St. Sergius and at the venerated icons of the Mother of God: “A great consolation for me,” he says, “is that episcopal ministry, I was called from the Lavra of the Monk Abba Sergius, dear to my heart, with whom my whole life is closely connected<…>In the Lavra of the Monk, the Lord judged me for several years to carry out the high and honorable obedience of the governor of the Lavra. During this wonderful and meaningful period of life, a lot of spiritual consolation and joy unknown to the world have been received - a joy that is understandable only to monks. How much the multitude of Thy goodness, O Lord, hast thou hid to those who fear Thee(Ps 30:20).

Especially dear to me is the fact that my election took place on the day of the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, which is evidence for me of the protection of the “Ardent Intercessor” over me on a difficult archpastoral path.

It is also dear that the “consecration of the bishop’s grace” will be performed in this majestic cathedral, the heart of which is the image of the Kasperovskaya icon of the Mother of God, beloved and revered by me for a long time - the image before which I bowed my knees with such tenderness and spiritual pleasure in the days of pastoral service in the city of Odessa ... ".

And four years later, upon entering the Leningrad see, Metropolitan Pimen once again testified to his reverence for the shrine, his understanding of pastoral duty, and Leningraders heard his words full of humility: “... Looking back at my recent ministry, wherever I look, I see everywhere and I feel the healing and gracious spirit of the ascetics of the Sergius Lavra, or the gates open for my heart, leading to Moscow shrines. I always see the flickering of inextinguishable lamps in front of the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh and St. Alexis<…>Remembrances of how, in days of bewilderment and sorrow, I myself sought help at the tombs of these holy saints of God serve as joy and consolation for me. When I visited Moscow churches and sometimes served in them, I constantly received great spiritual consolation, and my heart was filled with joy and peace.<…>Arriving to you, to my new flock, I did not bring you gold and silver, I did not bring brilliant gifts of mind or beauty of thought, I did not bring you the ornateness and beauty of preaching, but I brought you as a gift only one thing, the most necessary and dearest for a believer , I brought you the peace of God and a blessing from the Moscow shrines and the monastery of St. Sergius of Radonezh and his associates<…>

What then should be my ministry among you? What can you expect from me?<…>When I asked myself these questions, I remembered the words of the Apostle: He (the Lord) gave to eat the Apostles, owe the prophets, owe the evangelists, owe the shepherds and teachers, for the perfection of the saints, for the work of service, for the building up of the Body of Christ(Eph 4:11-12). This means, dear brothers and sisters, that the pastors of the Church, according to the testimony of the Apostle, are appointed in the Church in order to lead believers on the path to eternal salvation, to serve the cause of their spiritual rebirth, to edify in faith and love, to heal ulcers of conscience, to make believers with grace. Christ's living temples of the Holy Spirit!” .

Almost six decades after accepting the priesthood, His Holiness Patriarch Pimen tirelessly called by God to the flock entrusted to him to spiritual life, to spiritual perfection. The special services sent their workers to churches to disturb the silence and order during solemn services, - the voice of His Holiness the Patriarch called the faithful to reverence, explained to them the purpose of the church, the sacraments performed in it, the content of the calendar by which the Church lives, reminded of the inner temple of the human heart, which must itself become the temple of God. Patristic literature was not published at that time, the Bible and prayer books were printed in small print runs with an interval of several years, or even decades. His Holiness Patriarch Pimen from the pulpit expounded the Orthodox teaching on salvation, zealous prayer and zealous veneration of the Mother of God, confirming the sincerity of his words, instructing those who pray in the most important thing, revealing to them the meaning and essence of life in Christ. A typical example of such an evangelism is the Word spoken by His Holiness after the akathist to the Kasperovskaya Icon of the Mother of God in the Dormition cathedral Odessa June 28, 1974. Thanking the believers for common prayer and explaining the text of the akathist, the Patriarch urged every person to look at himself, to see the coarseness of his heart and seek a way out of his sinful state: “... Why is the human heart called cruel and impenitent in the akathist? - the archpastor asked his flock. - Because, dear brothers and sisters, we sin so often that we no longer notice our sins and vices. Often people come to confession, confess and do not even know what sin is, and do not know what to repent of. This is the cruel impenitence of the human heart.

But what needs to be done so that our heart is not like that, so that our heart is tender, so that we see our sins, so that we know what we need to repent of, what we cannot do and what is useful. First of all, we need a prayer that the Lord would open the eyes of our souls to us. This is the first. And secondly, in order for the heart to become repentant, it is necessary to draw a line between the vices and sins that each of us has, and those, maybe small, but still virtues that are inherent in every person. It is necessary every day to discuss the hours we have lived - not years, not months and weeks, but the hours of each day, and think that our life has been shortened and we have become one more day closer to death. If we constantly subject our lives to deep analysis, then our impenitence will not be cruel.<…>

Most importantly, dear brothers and sisters, in order to touch our hearts, we must turn to Virgin Mary with a prayer, ask Her intercession from Her Son and God, ask as it says in the troparion ... To the Mother of God is now a son. These words say a lot, first of all, that prayer to the Mother of God must be diligent, so that not only the hand that makes the sign of the cross, but also our soul, our heart participate in the prayer.<…>

How to do it? The area of ​​our falling to the Mother of God is the area of ​​our soul, this is an invisible area, this is what is contained in our heart. This is something that is inherent in every Christian, that no one can take away from him and that will always have great power. Only a touched heart can become repentant, kind, drawn to virtue and truth…”

The main feature of the personality of Patriarch Pimen was his love for prayer. Muscovites remember well his inspirational reading of the Great Canon Reverend Andrew Cretan, marvelous singing of the lamp I see your chamber, my Savior..., his almost regular reading on Fridays of the akathist in front of the icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy” in the church of Elijah the Prophet in Obydensky Lane. Not without reason did Schema-Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov) call His Holiness Pimen “a great prayer book”. According to the testimony of the pious old woman M. Ya. B., the watchman of the Lopukhinsky Chambers in the Novodevichy Convent, Patriarch Pimen, being the Metropolitan of Krutitsky, left his chambers late in the evenings and, all immersed in prayer, took a walk around the territory of the monastery.

The same old woman told about her last meeting with the Metropolitan. Shortly before his enthronement, Vladyka saw her and uttered significant words: “Now I…” and depicted a lattice with his fingers, “first I will die, and then you.” The last prediction came true exactly: the old woman outlived His Holiness by less than three months. The meaning of the first words of the future Patriarch is eloquently stated in the book of his former cell-attendant, Bishop Sergius (Sokolov), in which we read the following: Patriarch Alexy (Simansky). As you know, then dozens of temples and monasteries were closed.<…>Where believers did not want to yield to atheists, the latter often used brute force.<…>So it was in the Pochaev Lavra, where once Patriarch Alexy asked Bishop Pimen to urgently leave Odessa<…>

Listening to these stories of the Patriarch, I constantly felt that he didn’t say a lot<…>And most importantly, it does not mean that he is in the position of “a bird in a golden cage”. Of course he experienced it.

He was worried that he could not visit the dioceses of our Church at will. Knowing that millions of believers in the most remote corners of Russia would always be happy to meet with him, he sometimes even tried to plan some trips, but it all ended in failure. Foreign trips, which were purely protocol in nature, could not satisfy his pastoral motives.<…>the “golden cage” abroad became more durable and luxurious.”

Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Pimen, who visited more than ten states from India to the United States with the sanction of the Soviet government, was deprived of the right to free movement around the country and direct communication with his all-Russian flock in his homeland: only one Moscow-Odessa route was legalized for him. But God cannot be mocked, and no violence against the person of the Patriarch could weaken the Church of Christ. The restoration of the oldest Danilov Monastery in Moscow, which lasted several years and was due to preparations for the 1000th anniversary of the baptism of Rus' (1988), stirred up the religious life of Orthodox people throughout the Soviet Union. After half a century of desolation, the monastery was resurrected by selfless labor and fervent prayer of all the believers of our country. He united monks and laity who came here with an ardent desire to “work for the monastery”, carried icons, books and church utensils sent money and letters. In all the temples everywhere there was a collection of donations for Danilov and the troparion was sung to the Monk Prince Daniel. And the impossible became a reality: in the citadel of atheism, after Khrushchev’s destruction of monasteries and churches, not only the architectural ensemble of the monastery was revived in unprecedented beauty, not only were the administrative buildings of the Patriarchate built, but, what is much more important, the strict monastic charter was revived, the lamp of spiritual life shone, a landmark for future revival of Orthodox monasteries and churches. Patriarch Pimen took the most direct part in the realization of this miracle of God. In the fall of 1982, on behalf of the Patriarch and the Holy Synod, a request was sent to the government to transfer one of the closed Moscow monasteries to the Church to create the spiritual and administrative center of the Russian Orthodox Church. A favorable reply was received on May 5, 1983. And the Patriarch chose the Danilov Monastery, appointing the steward of the Lavra, Archimandrite Evlogy (Smirnov), now the Archbishop of Vladimir and Suzdal, as vicegerent. All the rest of his life, His Holiness Pimen was next to the Danilov Monastery. He came there on weekdays, often without warning, unexpectedly, checking the progress of restoration work, came on big holidays, sharing with the inhabitants the Easter joy of the resurrection of the monastery.

The thousand-year milestone in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church became for its primate also a milestone in his own life. On October 8, 1988, on the day of remembrance of St. Sergius of Radonezh, doctors made a terrible diagnosis to His Holiness and suggested an operation, otherwise predicting a close and painful death. The patriarch flatly refused the operation and lived, contrary to medical forecasts, for another year and a half. On May 3, 1990, having communed the Holy Mysteries of Christ, a few hours later he peacefully reposed in the Lord in the arms of his cell-attendant, Archimandrite Sergius (Sokolov). The funeral of His Holiness was held in the Cathedral of the Epiphany Elokhov Cathedral with a huge gathering of people who filled the square and alleys adjacent to the Cathedral. The last resting place of the deceased Primate was the crypt of the Assumption Cathedral of the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra. Everlasting memory 14th All-Russian Patriarch Pimen!

For details on the restoration of the St. Danilov Monastery, see. Archbishop Evlogy (Smirnov). It was a miracle of God. The history of the revival of the Danilov Monastery // Danilovsky evangelist. M., 2000.

May 3, 2015 marked the 25th anniversary of the death of Patriarch Pimen (Izvekov). The future primate of the Church during the Great Patriotic War was a military officer.

In the fate of Patriarch Pimen, as in the fate of the entire generation of the early 20th century, the Great Patriotic War remained an unhealed wound. A terrible ordeal divided the life of an entire nation into "before" and "after". And the turn of the biography that happened to Pimen (Izvekov) during the war years was surprising, but partly natural: the young hieromonk becomes a military officer. This transformation can be considered logical because this example was not the only one.

Despite the fact that the canons forbid the clergy to carry out military service, the history of the Church knows many examples when a person with a cross entered the military formation. In ancient times, these were warrior monks Peresvet and Oslyabya. During the Patriotic War of 1812-1814, 14 regimental priests were injured and shell-shocked, the priest of the Chernigov Dragoon Regiment Kirill Zabuzhenkov died in the Battle of Borodino. At the same time, the first Russian history the case of awarding a priest with the Order of St. George: for the unparalleled courage shown in battles, the priest of the 19th Jaeger Regiment Vasily Vasilkovsky was awarded a high award.

Another example in this series was Sergei Mikhailovich Izvekov, Hieromonk Pimen, the future Patriarch of All Rus'.

... Sergey Izvekov, already at the age of 15, in the Moscow Sretensky Monastery, was tonsured into a cassock (in the Russian church tradition - the first stage of monasticism) with the name Platon, and two years later in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra he was tonsured into a mantle with the name Pimen in honor of the reverend Pimen the Great.

At the age of 21, he was already a hieromonk, serving in Moscow in the Epiphany Cathedral in Dorogomilovo, one of the most beautiful churches in the capital, which was subsequently destroyed.

Soviet laws did not give any concessions to "clergymen", and therefore, already a year after the ordination of the young
the hieromonk is called up to the ranks of the Red Army for military service. For two years, from October 1932 to December 1934, Sergei Izvekov served in Belarus, in the 55th separate horse transport stationed in the city of Lepel, Vitebsk region, and then returned to Moscow.

In April 1932, the first arrest in the fate of Hieromonk Pimen happened: he fell under the repressions of the clergy, carried out in order to eliminate illegal monastic communities. Then he managed to avoid conviction and a camp term.

In the subsequent facts of his biography there is a confusion that has not been resolved to this day.

In 2009, the collection “The Russian Orthodox Church during the Great Patriotic War. 1941-1945 Collection of documents".

One of its compilers, Doctor of Historical Sciences Olga Vasilyeva, in one of her interviews, noted that not all documents related to the biography of the future Patriarch Pimen have been made public so far. “Very many questions concerned the real biography of Sergei Mikhailovich Izvekov - His Holiness Patriarch Pimen,” O. Vasilyeva testified to “Tatyana’s Day”, talking about research in the archives. - I want to say right away that Patriarch Alexy made (with his blessing the publication was published. - Ed.) A very wise decision: it is hardly worth publishing his entire military biography. It's not because she's bad, she's very good. Sergei Mikhailovich fought in the 213th Rifle Division, in the 7th Army of the Second Ukrainian Fleet, he fought excellently, was awarded military decorations, and was a scout. And then there were some events that are not worth talking about now. ”

Perhaps we are talking about allegations of desertion, which contain some critical publications. For example, it is known that even before the war S. M. Izvekov was convicted. Just for what? According to one version, in 1937 he was convicted of desertion. According to another, for violating the law on the separation of the Church from the state, he was sent to Dmitlag, the Dmitrovsky labor camp of the NKVD of the USSR, and then exiled to Andijan (Uzbek SSR), where he met the beginning of the war and from where he was mobilized.

So, Wikipedia refers to the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense, which allegedly contains information that Senior Lieutenant Sergei Mikhailovich Izvekov “disappeared on June 28, 1943, expelled by order of the GUK NVS No. 01464 dated June 17, 1946.” And further: "In open jar data of the Ministry of Defense (OBD Memorial) in the order it appears that Art. Lieutenant Izvekov S. M. was convicted.” On closer examination, it turns out that the Joint Database "Memorial" of the Ministry of Defense does not contain any information at all about Senior Lieutenant Sergei Mikhailovich Izvekov, born in 1910; but there is a mention of senior lieutenant S. M. Izvekov, born in 1911, commander of a rifle company of the 702nd rifle regiment: Merefa Kharkov region

The year of birth does not match, but it may have been a common wartime confusion.

One way or another, at the front, the path of Sergei Izvekov develops in much the same way as that of many other educated young people: after graduating from an infantry school, he is awarded an officer rank, in the winter of 1942 he is appointed commander of a machine gun platoon. But, again, due to his education, he is left in the rear, he serves as an assistant chief of staff for the rear of the 519th Infantry Regiment, which was in the reserve of the headquarters of the Supreme Commander.

Sergey Izvekov received his baptism of fire in May 1942 on the Southern Front, during the infamous Kharkov operation, during which entire armies were surrounded, and as a result, the losses amounted to 270 thousand people, of which 171 thousand were irretrievable. The salvation of the young lieutenant Izvekov from death in those terrible battles was nothing short of a miracle. In church tradition, in the stories of people who knew Patriarch Pimen, several testimonies of that time have been preserved.

“During the war, the regiment where the future patriarch fought was surrounded and in such a ring of fire where people were doomed. The regiment knew that there was a hieromonk among the soldiers, and, no longer afraid of anything but death, they fell at their feet: “Dad, pray. Where shall we go? The hieromonk had a secretly hidden icon of the Mother of God, and now, under fire, he tearfully prayed before it. And the Most Pure One took pity on the perishing army: everyone saw how the icon suddenly came to life, and the Mother of God extended her hand, showing the way to a breakthrough. The regiment was saved.

Adrian Alexandrovich Yegorov, a famous pianist, the eldest son of Ekaterina Pavlovna Vasilchikova (later schema-nun Elisaveta - one of those who were initiated into the secret of hiding and preserving the head of St. Sergius of Radonezh), retold the following story he heard from the patriarch: “Once he was instructed to deliver a package with a report. He prayed, crossed himself and sat in the saddle. The horse's name was Fate. As Patriarch Pimen later said, he lowered the reins and set off. The road ran through the forest. Arrived safely at the unit and handed over the package. He is asked: “Where did you come from?”, and he in response shows the direction with his hand. “No,” they tell him, “it’s impossible to come from there: everything is mined there.”

In July 1942, Sergei Izvekov received a concussion and was treated in a hospital for several months. In the spring of 1943, he was again at the front with the rank of senior lieutenant. Here a second contusion occurs, the consequences of which then for a long time made themselves felt with pain in the back. Later, he becomes adjutant to the division commander of the 7th Guards Army. In August 1943, the army as part of the Voronezh Front went on the offensive, but after the completion of the operation to capture Kharkov, Senior Lieutenant Izvekov was no longer on the lists of personnel: he was considered dead.

In September 1943, a memorable meeting between I. Stalin and the hierarchs takes place, the policy of the state towards the Church changes dramatically in better side. Bishops, priests, monks, and other people close to the Church began to be released from the camps and recalled from the fronts. Hieromonk Pimen, Sergei Mikhailovich Izvekov, who survived in the battles near Kharkov, also fell into this number. Olga Vasilyeva testifies that General N.F. Vatutin became his guarantor then. “But for some strange reason, not yet fully known to us, Sergei Izvekov was arrested in Moscow as having left the unit without permission. It is clear that he was not a deserter. He was released according to the list prepared by Patriarch Sergius,” the historian believes.

On November 29, 1944, the police detain Sergei Izvekov in Moscow. The accusation - "hiding from responsibility under the guise of a minister of a religious cult." On January 15, 1945, the military tribunal of the Moscow garrison passed a sentence: 10 years in the camps.

But on June 7, 1945, a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on amnesty for participants in the war was published, and on September 18, 1945, Hieromonk Pimen was released.

At the same time, in the army archives, he was still considered missing. The order of the Main Directorate of Personnel of the USSR Ministry of Defense of June 17, 1946 read: “Senior Lieutenant Izvekov Sergey Mikhailovich, company commander of the 702nd Infantry Regiment, is excluded from the lists of the Red Army. Missing". Meanwhile, Hieromonk Pimen served at that time as a priest of the Annunciation Cathedral in Murom and, perhaps, was in no hurry to “be there” simply because, having learned from bitter experience, people who survived repression at that time preferred to hide from power, to get lost in the “broad masses of the people” . He, apparently, succeeded: the search for the "missing" continued until the mid-1950s, when Archimandrite Pimen was already the vicar of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra.

Subsequently, all charges were dropped from Sergei Mikhailovich Izvekov, his military rank was returned to him, and he received the documents of a war veteran. A document has been preserved on the exclusion of S. M. Izvekov from the list of irretrievable losses: “Reason for leaving: alive.”

Having survived the terrible years of trials, having accomplished his military feat, Sergei Mikhailovich Izvekov - Hieromonk Pimen - returned to the main feat of his life - prayer. And he performed this feat of standing before God with the same dignity and honor.

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Patriarch Pimen (in the world Sergei Mikhailovich Izvekov) was born on July 23, 1910 in the city of Bogorodsk (now Noginsk), Moscow province, in the family of an employee. The spiritual leaven that determined the deep religiosity of Sergiy Izvekov and his choice of life path was the Orthodox tradition of a provincial town and his family. Sergey was brought up in a strict atmosphere, spent hours reading books, praying. There was a lot of spiritual literature in the house, and the mother often read aloud to her little son. In the Cathedral of the Epiphany in the city of Bogorodsk, whose parishioners were the Izvekovs, revered shrines from other places were often brought for veneration. The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was especially revered in the family, the future Patriarch carried reverence for this shrine and love for the Mother of God through his whole life, and his enthronement took place precisely on the day of the celebration of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. His first visit to the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra, where he was brought by his mother for the first confession and communion, was forever imprinted in the memory of Patriarch Pimen. Already a metropolitan, he said in one of his sermons: “Looking back at my recent ministry, wherever I look, everywhere I see 14 I feel the healing and grace-filled spirit of the ascetics of the Sergius Lavra or the gates that are open for my heart, leading to Moscow shrines. I always see the flickering of inextinguishable lamps in front of the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh and St. Alexis .... Remembrances of how, in days of bewilderment and sorrow, I myself sought help from the tombs of these holy saints of God, serve as joy and consolation for me.

In the city school, Sergei has always been one of the best students. He spent holidays and non-study days in the church: he read and sang in the kliros, he was a subdeacon of the Bishops of Bogorodsk Nikanor and Platon. In 1923, the schoolboy Sergius Izvekov, who had a beautiful voice, was invited to sing in the Episcopal choir of the Epiphany Cathedral, and here he underwent theoretical training under the guidance of Professor Alexander Vorontsov and his assistant Evgeny Diaghilev, so that soon he himself led the choir of his peers during pilgrimage trips to the saints. places in Russia. After graduating from school in 1925, the young man moved to Moscow and soon in the Sretensky Monastery was tonsured into a cassock with the name Platon. For some time he directed church choirs in Moscow churches. In 1927, the 17-year-old monk became a mantle monk in the then undispersed skete of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra in honor of the Holy Spirit. Thirty years later, in a word before his episcopal consecration, Archimandrite Pimen recalled this unforgettable event for himself: imputing to the mind, but I will gain Christ. Here I was satiated from the sweet meal of conversations and instructions filled with deep wisdom, vast experience and spiritual disposition, always loving and blessed ever-memorable abbot of the Lavra, Archimandrite Kronid, who sowed many good seeds in my soul.

Monk Pimen (in honor of the ancient ascetic of the Egyptian desert, St. Pimen the Great) was the regent at the Epiphany Cathedral in Dorogomilovo. In July 1930 he was ordained a hierodeacon by the Archbishop of Zvenigorod Philip (Gumilevsky), and in January 1931 a hieromonk. For several years, Hieromonk Pimen served as a pastor in Moscow.

The Great Patriotic War found Hieromonk Pimen in places of deprivation of liberty, from where he, on his own request, was sent to the front and served in the army as a signalman. Once the unit to which he belonged was surrounded. Salvation came, according to him, from the Mother of God herself: he saw a weeping woman suddenly appear on the path, came up to ask about the cause of the tears and heard: “Go straight along this path and you will be saved.” The military commander, to whom Father Pimen conveyed what was said, heeded the advice, and the soldiers really left the encirclement.

Soon after the end of the Great Patriotic War, the intense and laborious administrative and economic activities of the hieromonk, abbot, archimandrite, bishop, and, finally, Patriarch Pimen began.

By the end of the war, Hieromonk Pimen was a priest of the Annunciation Cathedral in the city of Murom, then he served as treasurer of the Odessa Ilyinsky Monastery. In 1947, Hieromonk Pimen was elevated to the rank of abbot and soon moved to the Rostov diocese, where he held the positions of secretary of the bishop, member of the diocesan council, and dean of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin. At the end of 1949, by decree of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy I, hegumen Pimen was appointed abbot of the Pskov-Caves Monastery. Patriarch Pimen's cell attendant, later Bishop of Novosibirsk Sergius (Sokolov), recalled: “The news of the new appointment took him by surprise. Knowing nothing about the monastery in the city of Pechory, somewhere on the border of Russia and Estonia, in an area where recently there were battles and there was a lot of destruction, he was very upset by the upcoming changes in his life. ...There was a lot of work ahead, connected with the establishment of a statutory life in the monastery, the construction of destroyed temples, rooms and walls. However, what the new abbot of the monastery had to face, many times exceeded his worst fears, and, of course, without the help of God, it was hardly possible to achieve any positive results. The problems were both internal and external. ... The problem that was constantly on the agenda was the burning hatred of the secular authorities for the monastery, which resulted in constant petty, but annoying conflicts, as well as. in regular attempts to close the monastery.”

Archpriest Evgeny Peleshev, who at that time was a novice of the monastery, says: “... His main merit was, of course, in the priestly service. He served in the church (and especially the liturgy) with such inspiration that we, monks and parishioners, could pray and pray endlessly. One could listen to any of his sermons, enjoying every phrase. ... The fame of the monastery and its abbot spread throughout Russia, and pilgrims, especially in summer, began to gather in the monastery in hundreds, and later thousands. ... The people loved him for his wonderful spiritual services, and especially for his amazing sermons. Churches, when he served, were always crowded with worshipers, and even completely non-church, unbelieving people came to listen to his sermons. In addition to his exceptional merits as a clergyman, hegumen Pimen was a good organizer and business executive. He delved into every matter, he could be seen daily at all the working objects of the monastery, ... he tried to take part in any, the most difficult monastic obedience. He was talented in everything. He compiled, for example, an akathist to all the venerable fathers and mothers Vassa of Pskov-Caves. This akathist was read in the monastery every Wednesday.” It is known that the famous elder Simeon (Zhelnin), now glorified as a saint, then predicted to Archimandrite Pimen his patriarchal service.

From 1954 to 1957, Archimandrite Pimen was the vicar of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Just as in the Pskov-Caves Monastery, he carried out major restoration work in the cathedrals, took care of the improvement of the Lavra; under him, two new chapels were built in the refectory church - in the name of St. Joasaph of Belgorod and St. Seraphim of Sarov. In 1957, Archimandrite Pimen was consecrated Bishop of Balta and at the end of that year became vicar of the Moscow Diocese - Bishop of Dmitrovsky. In his speech at the nomination as a bishop, he said: “I, with deep humility and obedience, accept my election to the episcopal service as the will of God and firmly believe that the omnipotent grace of the Holy Spirit will touch me through the laying on of your hierarchal hands and strengthen me for a great service. Church of God, helping me to walk worthy of the calling to which I am called. Then small grains of spiritual bread, broken in blessing, will be able to nourish thousands of hungry souls through me.”

In July 1960, Bishop Pimen was appointed manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, in March 1961 he occupied the Tula see, in November 1961 he became the Metropolitan of Leningrad and Ladoga, and in October 1963 - of Krutitsa and Kolomna.

After the death of Patriarch Alexy I, the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1971 elevated Metropolitan Pimen to the Patriarchal See. The main feature of the personality of Patriarch Pimen was his love for prayer. Muscovites well remember his inspirational reading of the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, the marvelous singing of the chandelier “I see Thy Chamber, my Savior”, his Friday reading of the akathist in front of the icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy” in the Church of Elijah the Prophet in Obydensky Lane. No wonder Schema-Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov) called Patriarch Pimen “a great prayer book”.

In the 70s. church life remained relatively stable and proceeded without upheavals, similar to those that fell to its lot during the years of Khrushchev's persecution. State policy towards the Church remained unchanged in its main features: tough, total control behind all manifestations of church life, opposition to attempts to expand the scope of what is permitted for the Church - but without mass repressions against the clergy or believers, without mass closing of churches and noisy atheistic propaganda campaigns. For five years, from 1971 to 1975, the number of parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church decreased from 7274 to 7062, in 1976 there were only 7038 parishes. On average, 50 parishes were closed per year. In the next five years, the pace was reduced, closing up to six parishes annually, and in 1981 the Church had only 7007 parishes.

Of course, in his pastoral activity, the Patriarch experienced the strongest pressure from the communist authorities. In the book of his former cell-attendant, Bishop Sergius (Sokolov), we read: “He told how, while still a metropolitan, during Khrushchev’s persecution of the church, he once performed the secret obedience of the late Patriarch Alexy (Simansky). As is known, dozens of churches and monasteries, returned to believers in the post-war years, were closed then. Where believers did not want to yield to atheists, the latter often used brute force, beating priests and monks. So it was in the Pochaev Lavra, where once Patriarch Alexy asked Bishop Pimen to urgently go from Odessa. The purpose of the trip - to obtain truthful information about the state of the monastery from the lips of an eyewitness - was successfully achieved, thanks to a sudden night trip in a car provided by the Patriarch. The unexpected appearance of the metropolitan in Pochaev caused a great commotion among the atheists who lied. Still around the yard active monastery city ​​officials ran and tore off red canvases with insulting texts for believers. The Metropolitan on the same day returned to the Patriarch, providing him with truthful information, which became the subject of a serious conversation with the government. ...Listening to these stories of the Patriarch, I constantly felt that he did not say much... And most importantly, he does not say that he is in the position of "a bird in a golden cage." Of course he experienced it. He was worried that he could not visit the dioceses of our Church at will. Knowing that millions of believers in the most remote corners of Russia would always be happy to meet with him, he sometimes even tried to plan some trips, but it all ended in failure. Foreign trips, which were purely protocol in nature, could not satisfy his pastoral motives. And the way these trips were organized, who accompanied the Primate, is a topic for a special discussion, I can only say that the “golden cage” abroad became more durable and luxurious. According to the former Soviet Union The Patriarch traveled only along one verified route: Moscow - Odessa. One day His Holiness the Patriarch had a seemingly unique opportunity to visit the dioceses located on the banks of the Volga. The believers of Uglich, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ulyanovsk, Cheboksary, Kuibyshev, Volgograd and Astrakhan could receive the primatial blessing. But it was not there! The trip along the Volga on the ship was organized so secretly that even I knew nothing about it and thus remained on the “shore”.

Later, His Holiness himself told me about this vacation on the ship, noting with bitterness that everything was done by his secular “assistants” so that he would not meet with the flock. In places of parking, he was given a car on the pier, a secular guide, so that he could get acquainted with local sights ... In Ulyanovsk, the Patriarch asked to be taken to a local church, remembering that the Patriarchate was evacuated in this city during the war. What was his surprise when the guide refused his request, noting that the city is famous for the Lenin memorial and the Ulyanovs' house-museum, which is supposed to be visited according to the program. The Patriarch graciously abandoned this program and returned to the ship. ... Archbishop Veniamin of Cheboksary and Chuvash, Vladyka, known for his deep spirituality and truly Christian humility, had to endure a lot of trouble from the authorities because, having learned about the Patriarch passing by, he hastened to meet him.

The last years of the presidency of Patriarch Pimen marked the beginning of the revival of church life. The Church got the right legal entity in the state, a new Charter was adopted, giving more legal rights to priests, tax policy was relaxed. The return of closed and desecrated churches and monasteries began. From 1985 to 1990 more than 4,000 new parishes were opened. The church was given the opportunity to expand its publishing and charitable activities.

The thousand-year milestone in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church, which became a turning point for her, for her High Hierarch also became a milestone in his own life. On October 8, 1988, on the day of remembrance of St. Sergius of Radonezh, doctors diagnosed His Holiness Patriarch, who had been seriously ill for several years, and suggested an operation, otherwise predicting a close and painful death. He flatly refused, but lived, contrary to medical forecasts, for another year and a half. On May 3, 1990, at the age of 80, a few hours after communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, His Holiness Pimen, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', peacefully reposed in the Lord in the arms of his cell-attendant, Archimandrite Sergius (Sokolov). The funeral service of His Holiness was held in the Epiphany Cathedral of the Elohovsky Cathedral with a huge gathering of people who filled the square and alleys adjacent to the temple. The Primate was buried in the crypt of the Assumption Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, near the grave of his predecessor, Patriarch Alexy I.

May 3 marks the 20th anniversary of the death of His Holiness Patriarch Pimen. Not much has yet been written about this Patriarch; information about his life and ministry in the 1920s - 1940s is unknown. many even church people are still unknown, the significance of his feat has not yet been assessed in many respects. “The last Soviet patriarch”, “the patriarch of a stagnant era” - so many researchers often characterize him, leaving the reader in the dark about what a difficult path Hieromonk Pimen went through in the first twenty years of his monasticism. I would like to dedicate this short essay to the least known period in the life of the future Patriarch - the twenty years that passed from becoming a monk to being elevated to the rank of hegumen (1927-1947).

However, in the official track record of the future Patriarch, preserved in the archives of the Moscow Patriarchate, the city of Bogorodsk (now Noginsk) is listed as the birthplace of the Patriarch, from which this information migrated to all the official biographies of the Patriarch.

The family waited for a son for a long time: after the birth of the eldest daughter Maria, all the children of the Izvekovs - Anna, Vladimir, Mikhail, Lyudmila - died in infancy. And then the mother made a vow, if there was a son, to dedicate him to God. So was born, on the feast of the Deposition of the Robe of the Lord, Sergei Izvekov - a child of prayer and vow. Sergei's father worked as a mechanic at the Glukhov factory of Arseny Morozov near Bogorodsk, where his family lived. Obviously, Pelageya Afanasyevna (nee Ivanova), who at the time of the birth of her son was already 39 years old, left for her husband's homeland in the village for the summer months, and the future Patriarch was born there. On July 28, he was baptized in the Trinity Church with. Glukhov, Bogorodsk district.

The long-awaited son became the center of her life. She managed to introduce her son to reading spiritual literature early. “From childhood, I was fond of the creations of the “Russian Chrysostom” - Archbishop Innokenty of Kherson,” recalled His Holiness the Patriarch in the 1970s.

Together with his mother, the boy made pilgrimages to holy places, especially often they visited the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Pelageya Afanasyevna confessed to the elder Zosima Hermitage, Ven. Alexy (Soloviev). Recalling his first pilgrimage to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, the Patriarch said: “Brought by my parent to the holy Sergius Lavra, when I was eight years old, I confessed and communed the Holy Mysteries for the first time in the Zosima-Sabbatiev Church of the Lavra.”

When Sergei grew up a little, he began to travel to Orthodox monasteries alone or accompanied by friends. St. Metropolitan Macarius (Nevsky), who lived in retirement in the Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery, told him: “Pray for me, you have a great, but difficult path.” Blessed Maria Ivanovna Diveevskaya, seeing the young man, jumped up and wailed: “Look, look, Vladyka has come to us, Vladyka. Put his galoshes separately. Lord, Lord has come."

Very early, with the help of experienced mentors, having mastered the secrets of the regency and singing art, the boy sang on the kliros in the Bogorodsk Epiphany Cathedral, he himself tried to lead the choir. He was a subdeacon under the Bishop of Bogorodsk, Vicar of the Moscow Diocese Nikanor (Kudryavtsev). On September 23, 1923, according to the OGPU, Patriarch Tikhon removed Bishop Nicanor from the management of the vicariate "for a sharp review of himself." Already after the death of Bishop Nicanor, which soon followed, in October 1923, Bishop Platon (Rudnev) was consecrated to the Bogorodsk vicariate, whose subdeacon was also Sergey Izvekov.

In Bogorodsk, Sergei Izvekov, one of the best students, graduates from the secondary school named after V.G. Korolenko, about which he was issued a certificate in October 1925. This school, converted from a gymnasium, still had old teachers. During the years of study, Sergei showed interest in fine arts and poetry. In August 1925, Sergei arrived in the Sarov Hermitage, expressing a desire to take monastic vows here. At that time, about 150 monks labored here. The celebration of the day of remembrance of the saint on August 1 gathered a huge number of pilgrims from all over the country. One of the desert elders blessed the future Patriarch to go to Moscow: “They are waiting for you there.” The autumn of 1925 was a unique time in the history of Orthodox Moscow, after the death of the Patriarch, as if calming down, the anti-church bodies of the Soviet state loosened control over the Church, whose leader St. Peter, relying on the bishops from the Danilov Monastery, acted more and more decisively and boldly.

Arriving in Moscow for the feast of the Presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, Sergei Izvekov finds himself in the Candlemas Monastery, where his friend M.E. Gubonin introduces him to the abbot of the monastery, Bishop Boris (Rukin). Bishop Boris of Mozhaisk, a highly gifted but ambitious man, at that time was already the leader of an opposition group of bishops who were preparing the removal of Metropolitan Peter (Polyansky) from the locum tenure. Already in December 1925, these bishops formed the so-called. Gregorian schism. Bishop Boris in the summer-autumn of 1925 performed quite a lot of monastic tonsure, intending to replenish the brethren with young monks. So, on August 22, 1925, the future Archbishop Jerome (Zakharov) was tonsured here, in the world Vladimir Zakharov, then ordained a hieromonk by Bishop Boris. Sergei Izvekov made a good impression on Bishop Boris with his regency skills and remained in the Sretensky monastery. Here, on December 4, 1925, at the hands of Bishop Boris, he takes monastic vows with the name Platon. Early tonsure, as already mentioned, is largely the merit of the mother, who from childhood prepared her son for monasticism, since even before birth she promised God to consecrate her son to Him.

The young monk Platon, like Hieromonk Jerome, did not want to remain in the brethren of the monastery after the formation of the Gregorian schism immediately after the arrest of Metropolitan Peter on December 9, 1925, one of the leaders of which was Bishop Boris, and the monastic life in the Sretensky monastery after leaving its schism the abbot disappeared. Knowledge of the liturgical charter and church singing has always distinguished the ministry of the future Patriarch. He superbly led the church choirs.

The brother of St. Hilarion (Troitsky), who headed the Sretensky Monastery in 1920-1923, who was living in Moscow at that time, Bishop Daniel (Troitsky), asked Monk Platon to become regent of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior in Pushkar, which was located from the monastery on Sretenka. In 1926 Monk Platon led the choir in the church in honor of Florus and Laurus at the Butcher's Gate, near the Central Post Office, and then in the church of St. Maximus the Confessor on Varvarka. In the same year, the monk Platon became the regent of the right choir of the church of St. Pimen in Novye Vorotniki (in Sushchev), in 1936 this temple, located near the Novoslobodskaya metro station, fell into the hands of the Renovationists and was their last temple in Moscow. The future Patriarch served here until 1932. The rector of the temple during the years of service of the future Patriarch in it was Archpriest Nikolai Bazhanov, who invited the young regent to his temple. In the summer of 1946, the deceased leader of the Renovationists Alexander Vvedensky was buried here. On October 9 of the same year, the temple of Pimen the Great was transferred to the Orthodox Church.

In April 1927, Metropolitan Sergius, Deputy Patriarchal Locum Tenens, was released from prison, after which he was able to settle in Moscow in Baumansky Lane. Wooden building on Baumansky lane, 6. not preserved. Monk Plato came here more than once. He later recalled that in the 1920s and early 1930s. he found lodging for the night here along with other clerics who did not have their own corner in Moscow.

September 21 / October 4, 1927 on the day of memory of St. Demetrius of Rostov, by order of the administrator of the Moscow diocese, Archbishop Philip (Gumilevsky), Monk Platon was tonsured into the mantle in the Paraclete Hermitage of the Holy Trinity-Sergius Lavra. The tonsure was performed by hegumen Agafodor (Lazarev) with the name Pi-men - in honor of the ascetic of the Egyptian desert, the Monk Pimen the Great. “In one of the most secluded sketes of the Lavra,” recalled His Holiness the Patriarch, “in the desert of the Holy Spirit of the Paraclete, my tonsure into monasticism took place, and there the first steps of my monastic probation took place, “I take everything into account, so that I can acquire Christ.” Here I was satiated from the sweet meal of conversations and instructions filled with deep wisdom, vast experience and spiritual disposition, always loving and blessed ever-memorable governor of the Lavra, Archimandrite Kronid, who sowed many good seeds in my soul. Taking monasticism, the 17-year-old boy clearly understood that he was preparing a difficult path for himself, the persecution of the Church was only gaining momentum. At that time, they took tonsure, indeed, by vocation: “All the greedy, unscrupulous people left - the best remained. Semi-legal, constrained on all sides, every minute expecting arrest and complete defeat, monasticism at that time was distinguished by the purity of its life, the height of prayer deeds, ”wrote A. Levitin, an eyewitness to the events. This was the year when the struggle with the clergy reached its peak. They were deprived of housing, land, taxes that were imposed on them many times exceeded their income. Hundreds of clergymen laid down their rank, wanting to survive. Fearing deportation and arrest, many priests' wives and their children went to break with their fathers. On February 19, 1930, Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) sent a memorandum to the chairman of the Commission for Cult Affairs under the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee on the needs of the Orthodox Church in the USSR, in which he described the appalling state of the clergy. However, fear for his life and future fate could not stop the future Patriarch in his desire to fully devote his life to serving God.

“My name Pimen, translated from Greek as “pastor,” His Holiness later said, “was not given to me in monasticism by chance and obliges me to a lot. The Lord judged me to be a shepherd. But He commanded in the Gospel: "The Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep." Such a young age did not allow Monk Pimen to be consecrated as a deacon right away. He was ordained a hierodeacon on July 16, 1930, on the eve of his twentieth birthday, on the feast day of St. Philip in the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Dorogomilovo by Archbishop Philip (Gumilevsky). Before his consecration, his main obedience was directing the choir of the church of St. Pimen, after his consecration, he was assigned to the Church of the Epiphany in Dorogomilovo. Unable to receive a systematic theological education, the monk Pimen, before his ordination, passed the exams for the seminary course of the commission chaired by the former rector of the Bethany Seminary, Prot. A. Zvereva.

On January 25, 1931, he was ordained a hieromonk by the same bishop in the Cathedral of the Epiphany, and on September 9 of the same year he was awarded a loincloth. Shortly after this consecration, on February 8, 1931, Archbishop Philip was arrested. In 1932, on the feast of St. Pimen the Great, the new head of the Moscow diocese, Archbishop Pitirim (Krylov) of Dmitrov, laid on Fr. Pimen pectoral cross.

In April 1932, the 21-year-old hieromonk was arrested for the first time. He fell under the mass arrests of clergy, carried out in order to eliminate illegal monastic communities. In the same month, Bishop Athanasius (Sakharov), other leaders and members of illegal monastic communities were arrested. In November 1933, in response to a question from an American correspondent for the Chicago Daily News: “Are there still monks?”, P.G. Smidovich said: “According to the information available to the Commission, the institute of monks, as such, no longer exists in the RSFSR. With the liquidation of the monasteries, the institute of "monks" was also abolished. The latter survived only in the person of individual clergy at the existing churches. In his testimony during the interrogation on April 20, 1932, he was not afraid to confess Christ before the persecutors of the Church: “I am a deeply religious person, from my earliest years I was brought up in the spiritual spirit. I have a written connection with the exiled hieromonk Barnabas, whom I sometimes help financially. I have never engaged in anti-Soviet agitation and never do. I am not a member of any a / s group, I have never spread provocative rumors that religion and the clergy are being persecuted in the USSR. I did not engage in educating young people in an anti-Soviet spirit. Being a regent at the church choir, after the end of the services and before, the choir singers came to my apartment, but I didn’t have a/c conversations with them. In the case of the "church-monarchist organization" there were 71 people who were charged with standard charges. So, hieromonk Pimen was accused of "talking about the restoration of the monarchy", conducting "anti-Soviet agitation" together with deacon Sergiy Turikov, and performing rites at home. Nineteen people involved in the case were released, among them was Hieromonk Pimen. The meeting of the collegium of the OGPU, which approved the decision to release him, took place on May 4, 1932. The clergy who were arrested during this period were mostly in opposition to Metropolitan Sergius; perhaps the decision to release Hieromonk Pimen was made when the investigators realized that he did not belong to the non-commemorative. The youth of Fr. Pimen. As the young parishioner Valentina Yasnopolskaya, who was arrested in the same period, recalled, the investigator told her that the OGPU had a “sensitive attitude” towards young people, their representatives were not treated as harshly as the older generation.

However, the authorities did not allow him to calmly perform his service either. In October 1932, he was drafted into the Red Army and sent to the 55th separate horse transport in the city of Lepel, Vitebsk region of Belarus, where he served until December 1934. During his service in the army, he received the education of a paramedic and a veterinarian, which was so useful to him in subsequent years, allowing him to survive during camp imprisonment and during the war years. At the end of 1934, the young hieromonk returned to serving in the Church of the Epiphany in Dorogomilovo.

The authorities, after the murder of S.M. Kirov on December 1, 1934, domestic policy was tightened more and more, mass deportations began " former people”, including clergy from large cities, primarily Moscow and Leningrad. The Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate was closed, and the activities of the Moscow Patriarchate were reduced to a minimum. In 1935, Fr. Pimen was taken out of state. The Moscow Patriarchate took such a decision in those years in relation to the arrested clergy, in addition, the states were reduced in response to the demands of the authorities.

Hieromonk Pimen's work with P.D. Korin. In the early thirties, the great idea of ​​​​the artist Pavel Korin was born: a picture of a procession coming out of the royal gates of the Assumption Cathedral and absorbing everyone the best people church Russia - Rus' is leaving. In the center of the composition are three patriarchs: Tikhon, Sergius, Alexy. And on the right, in the first row, in full height figure of 25-year-old hieromonk Pimen. The future patriarch really often visited, according to his recollections, in 1935 in the workshop of Pavel Korin on Pirogovka. No one has ever been able to explain how, by what mysterious intuition, the artist makes the young hieromonk practically the center of his picture, prophetically sees in him the true face of ecclesiastical Russia - Rising Rus'.

At the beginning of 1937 a new arrest of Hieromonk Pimen followed. There were still a few months left before the “execution” resolution of the Central Committee, adopted in July. By a resolution of a special meeting at the collegium of the OGPU, he was sentenced to forced labor on the construction of the Moscow-Volga Canal. He was sent to Dmitlag, located in the area of ​​​​Dmitrov near Moscow. The Dmitrovsky forced labor camp of the NKVD of the USSR is a huge camp association intended for the construction of the Moscow-Volga canal (in addition to the canal itself with its numerous locks, dams, reservoirs, Dmitlag prisoners, the Dynamo stadium was built in Moscow, the Southern and Northern (Khimki) ports and etc.). The specialty of a veterinarian received in the army came in handy - he monitored the health of numerous horses working on the construction. Obviously, the death of the horse was the reason for the condemnation of Fr. Pimen, the article under which he was re-convicted read: “loss, deliberate damage ... of cartridges and horses, entail the application of a measure social protection in the form of ... imprisonment for at least three years or the highest measure of social protection. People working back-breaking jobs with extremely poor nutrition and lack of medical care died by the thousands. They were buried by simply covering them with soil at the bottom of the canal itself. The work on the construction of the canal was completed in 1937, in connection with which, in January 1938, Dmitlag was liquidated. 55,000 out of 177,000 prisoners were released "for hard work." Directly on the construction of the canal about. Pimen did not work, and had an article received in the camp, so he was not subject to release. Some of the Dmitlag prisoners were deported to Uzbekistan. Among them was the s / c Izvekov. The Patriarch did not like to talk about this time or spoke briefly: “It was hard. Thank God it's over." Once he said: "Yes, yes ... I had to dig channels." When asked how he knew the Uzbek language, he replied: “Yes ... I had to ... I worked there, dug canals.”

As of February 1939, he was a sanitary inspector who was supposed to check the quality of food in public catering places in Andijan. In early August 1939, hieromonk Sergei Mikhailovich Izvekov, as he passed according to the documents, was transferred to work as the head of the regional House of Sanitary Education (DSP) of the Health Department of the Ferghana Region in the city of Andijan, where he worked until July 1940. In August 1939, he visited business trip in Moscow at a conference of health education workers. At that time, only four bishops remained at large, who daily expected to be arrested.

In the summer of 1940, he left work and entered the institute. I kept my student card. In 1940-1941. Sergei Mikhailovich Izvekov is a student of the Literary Faculty of the Andijan Evening Pedagogical Institute. He began to combine his studies with teaching. On October 25, 1940, he was appointed teacher and head teacher of Andijan School No. 1. Other clergymen who had served their exile in Central Asia and received a ban on living in Andijan lived here in Andijan. major cities. There was no church in the city; later, during the war years, a prayer house operated.

Hieromonk Pimen managed to finish only the first course of the institute. On August 10, 1941, he was called up for military service in the Red Army. The Nazis rushed to Moscow ... The military specialty received before the war, as well as the death of regular officers in the first months of the war, contributed to the rapid assignment of an officer rank.

Several months of training at the infantry school ended at the beginning of 1942 with the assignment of the rank of junior platoon commander. On January 18, 1942, by order No. 0105, he was appointed commander of a machine-gun platoon, part of the 462nd Rifle Division, but he was not sent to the front, like most of the junior officers who studied with him. The education received at the institute and the work as a teacher affected, competent army staff workers were also needed. On March 20, 1942, he was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff for Logistics 519 Rifle Regiment, which was in the reserve of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander.

In May 1942, his regiment began to fight against the Nazis as part of the Southern Front. At this time, the Kharkov operation developed at Headquarters began. It was carried out mainly by the forces of the Southwestern Front under the command of General R.Ya. Malinovsky, under the general command of Marshal S.K. Timoshenko. On May 12, the counteroffensive began and by May 15, the troops advanced an average of 25 kilometers. However, the command of the Army Group "South", having transferred significant reinforcements, began to surround the Soviet units that had broken through. The front command was afraid to stop the operation, so as not to arouse anger in the Headquarters. The right wing of the Southern Front, where Hieromonk Pimen fought, also took part in the battles. As a result, the troops were surrounded by the Germans and destroyed or captured, only 22 thousand fighters were able to get out of the encirclement, and other small groups of fighters also escaped. May 29, 1942 The battle of Kharkov ended, the encirclement was finally closed.

The following story probably dates back to this time: “During the war, the regiment where the future Patriarch fought was surrounded and in such a ring of fire where people were doomed. The regiment knew that there was a hieromonk among the soldiers, and, no longer afraid of anything but death, they fell at their feet: “Dad, pray. Where shall we go?" The hieromonk had a secretly hidden icon of the Mother of God, and now, under fire, he tearfully prayed in front of her. And the Most Pure One took pity on the perishing army - everyone saw how the icon suddenly came to life and the Mother of God extended her hand, showing the way to a breakthrough. The regiment was saved. Another story of the war years tells about it this way: “The unit to which he belonged was surrounded. Salvation came, according to the words of the future Patriarch, from the Mother of God herself: he saw a weeping woman suddenly appear on the path, came up to ask about the cause of the tears and heard: “Go straight along this path and you will be saved.” The military commander, to whom Father Pimen conveyed what was said, heeded the advice and the soldiers really got out of the encirclement. Adrian Yegorov recounted a story he heard from the Patriarch: “Once Adrian Yegorov (he was instructed to deliver a package with a report to the command) prayed, crossed himself and sat in the saddle. The horse's name was Fate. As Patriarch Pimen later said, he lowered the reins and set off. The road ran through the forest. Arrived safely at the unit and handed over the package. They ask him: "Where did you come from?", - and in response he shows the direction with his hand. “No,” they tell him, “it’s impossible to come from there, everything is mined there.”

On July 28, 1942, Stalin issued Order No. 227, which provided for punitive measures, up to and including execution, for retreating without an order. The order was called at the front "Not a step back!". The troops of the Southern Front, covering the North Caucasian direction and Stalingrad, suffered huge losses from the advancing enemy. On July 28, 1942, the Southern Front was disbanded and its remaining units transferred to the North Caucasian Front. July 29, 1942 Fr. Pimen was shell-shocked. Almost four months of treatment in military hospital No. 292 yielded results. On November 26, 1942, he was appointed deputy commander of company 702 of the Rifle Regiment, which was in reserve. On February 23, 1943, the regiment as part of the 213th rifle division left for the front. March 4, 1943 began Kharkov defensive operation. The troops of the Voronezh Front under the command of Colonel-General F.I. Golikov, having huge losses incurred during the offensive attempt, went on the defensive. They were opposed by the elite units of the SS, which were part of the Army Group South, under the command of Field Marshal Manstein. The enemy was rapidly rushing towards Belgorod. To stop the enemy, the Headquarters began to put forward strategic reserves to reinforce the Voronezh Front. March 13, 1943 regiment Art. Lieutenant Izvekov unloaded at the Valuiki station and became part of the 7th Guards Army. On March 25, the enemy offensive was stopped. The enemy's attempt to take revenge for Stalingrad failed. In the bloody battles of March-April 1943 near Kharkov, the deputy commander of the 6th company for combat unit S. M. Izvekov participated. On April 16, 1943, Fr. Pimen was again shell-shocked. An aerial bomb exploded near the place where the company, commanded by Art. Lieutenant Izvekov. My soldiers were frail, small. And I have a wide back, and I covered them with myself, ”said His Holiness Patriarch Pimen later, when back pains made themselves felt.

After that, in the same year, Art. Lieutenant Izvekov was appointed adjutant to the division commander of the 7th Guards Army, Major General F.I. Shevchenko. During the Battle of Kursk, it was the Voronezh Front, which included the 7th Guards Army, in which the future Patriarch fought, that experienced the greatest blow from the enemy. The Germans fielded almost half a million soldiers against the front. The Voronezh Front did a great job of building engineering structures. Hitler threw against them the best troops of the Wehrmacht and the most experienced generals. The 7th Guards Army was at the forefront of the front beyond Belgorod, with the Korocha River behind it. On August 3, the troops of the Voronezh Front went on the offensive.

The pursuit of the enemy continued to the city of Kharkov until August 20. On August 23 Kharkov was taken. The troops of the 7th Army reached the city of Merefa, not far from Kharkov. Here the Germans created a powerful defensive line. It was necessary, under enemy fire, including from the air, to cross the river. Udu, a tributary of the Northern Donets. Praskovya Tikhonovna Korina Patriarch Pimen spoke about his commander, General F.I. Shevchenko: “My commander was kind. He didn't send me under bullets. But, one day, I had to cross the river ... ".

In the regimental Red Army newspaper “For Pobeda” on August 26, an editorial wrote: “The enemy, having fortified himself on pre-prepared lines, is trying to hold back our offensive with strong fire. Despite the fierce resistance of the enemy, the soldiers crossed to the western bank of the river and entrenched themselves there. There is a fierce struggle for the settlement. The Germans launched a strong counterattack. Our soldiers recaptured it." On August 28, 1943, the operation was completed. But among the survivors, Lieutenant Izvekov was not found. On September 30, 1943, an entry was made in the staff book of the officers of the regiment: “Senior Lieutenant Izvekov Sergey Mikhailovich went missing on 26.8. However, o. Pimen was alive, although his military command did not know about it. He was sent to a hospital in Moscow, where he received treatment after being wounded. According to the track record, Fr. Pimen (Izvekov) was treated in the hospital after being wounded and was discharged from the army.

On November 29, 1944, he was detained by police in Moscow and taken to the 9th police department of the city of Moscow for identification. The detention was made for violation of the passport regime, tk. he did not have the necessary documents. It turned out that he lived on Suschevsky Val with two nuns. He was charged with "hiding from responsibility under the guise of a minister of a religious cult." This episode remains unexplained to this day. Archpriest Viktor Shipovalnikov claimed that Patriarch Pimen was not a deserter: “This is the work of SMERSH,” he said.

Probably, knowing about the warming of relations between the Church and the state, Fr. Pimen hoped to return to the priesthood and did not come to the military registration and enlistment office after treatment in the hospital. On the eve of his arrest, November 18, 1944, L.P. Beria sent a note to I.V. Stalin that hospital workers issue certificates of exemption from military service without sufficient grounds. Checks have begun.

On January 15, 1945, the military tribunal of the Mosgarrison issued a verdict: “not seeing the need to apply VMN ... Izvekov Sergey Mikhailovich on the basis of the totality of the crimes he committed on the basis of Art. 193-7 p. "e" of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR to deprive him of his liberty in a correctional labor camp for a period of ten (10) years without loss of rights and without confiscation of property due to the absence of such from the convict, depriving him of his / rank “Art. lieutenant"". Article 193, which was called "Military crimes" and provided for punishment, including for desertion - from 5 to 10 years in prison or execution in wartime, but execution was rarely used. In total, 376 thousand people were convicted for desertion during the war. Often this accusation was made unfounded.

On November 24, at a meeting with the bishops who participated in the Council of Bishops, which took place in Moscow on November 21-23, the head of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church G.G. Karpov stated that "all clergy who serve in church parishes are exempt from the mobilization call, regardless of age." Father Pimen needed to be appointed to a parish by the Moscow Patriarchate, and then he was automatically exempted from military service. Thus, at the time of his arrest, he could not be called a deserter, because. subject to exemption from service as a clergyman. However, condemnation followed.

Hieromonk Pimen was taken by stage to the Vorkuta-Pechora camp (Vorkutlag) on ​​March 4, 1945. The conditions of this camp were much more stringent than in Dmitlag, where Fr. Pimen served his sentence in the 1930s. Severe frosts, lack of sanitary conditions and normal food doomed most of the prisoners to death. As we have seen, o. Pimen more than once had to look into the eyes of death, and each time prayer and hope in God defeated the fear of death. The specialty of a nurse came in handy here, too. Pimen, in the camp he worked as a medical instructor. Archpriest Tikhon Streletsky, who was serving a term here, left memories of a meeting with Fr. Pimen: “On the 102 block in Komi, in one section, I am walking from the cemetery. I look, there is smoke coming from the chimney in the stable, which means I think there is someone inside. I go to the stable. A foal lies on the bed, covered with a blanket, only the head peeps out. I came over and stroked. I examined the cell, I think: not an ordinary person lives here. I warmed up by the stove. After a while, a tall young man enters. I told him: “Why do you have a foal on the bed?”. And he replies: “This is an orphan. His mother broke her leg while hauling wood, and according to the camp custom, she was slaughtered and 10 grams of meat were distributed to the prisoners. The same fate awaited the foal. I took pity on him and adopted him. “I see that you are not an ordinary person,” I tell him. “Yes, I am a hieromonk. In the camps for the second time.”

On September 18, 1945, on the basis of a decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces dated June 7, 1945, Hieromonk Pimen was released under an amnesty for participants in the war. If not for the liberation, then we can say with confidence that Fr. Pimen would have died in the camp. He was experiencing severe pain in his spine, lack of medical care determined the impossibility of establishing a diagnosis. Immediately after leaving the camp, he returned to Moscow and was examined. It turned out that he was sick with tuberculosis of the spine. Until February 1946, he was hospitalized - at the Moscow Regional Tuberculosis Institute (MOTI).

Upon leaving the hospital, as a former prisoner, he did not get a place in Moscow and was forced to look for a place of service "beyond the 101st kilometer." An old acquaintance and colleague, with whom Fr. Pimen met Hieromonk Seraphim (Kruten) in 1925 at the Sretensky Monastery. On November 30, 1925, he was arrested in the case of Met. Peter, went through camps and exile, and after the war began to serve in the Annunciation Cathedral in the city of Murom, where he accepted the schema with the name Savvaty. In 1946 he became the confessor of the Odessa Bishops' House, and in January 1947 he died. On August 27, 1944, Bishop Onesiphorus (Festinantov) was consecrated Bishop of Vladimir and Suzdal from among the widowed archpriests as a bishop in the diocese of Vladimir. On March 20, 1946, he appointed Hieromonk Pimen, on the recommendation of Schemagumen Savvaty, to the staff of the Annunciation Cathedral of the former Annunciation Monastery. Hieromonk Pimen served in the cathedral, girdling his spine with a hard leather corset, because. problems with the spine constantly made themselves felt.

Having been transferred to Odessa, Schemagumen Savvaty recommended Fr. Pimen to Bishop of Odessa and Kherson Sergius (Larin). Being almost the same age as Hieromonk Pimen and a staunch renovationist in the past, in 1937 he became rector of the Pimenovsky church in Moscow, which became renovator before the war, Fr. Pimen. In November 1941, Larin was consecrated Bishop of Zvenigorodsky by the Renovationists, vicar of the Moscow diocese; he ruled the Moscow Renovationist diocese during the evacuation of Alexander Vvedensky. On December 27, 1943, he was accepted into the Russian Orthodox Church as a layman and then elevated to the rank of hieromonk. On August 15, 1944, he was consecrated in Kyiv as bishop of Kirovograd, vicar of the Odessa diocese, soon becoming the administrator of the Odessa diocese. In August 1946, Bishop Sergius appointed Hieromonk Pimen to several positions at once: treasurer of the Odessa Elias Monastery, dean of the monasteries of the diocese, and rector of the bishop's cross church. In Odessa, there was a summer residence of Patriarch Alexy, who spent his holidays here, so that Hieromonk Pimen found himself in front of His Holiness. Hieromonk Pimen lived in the chambers of Bishop Sergius.

By Easter 1947, on the proposal of Bishop Sergius, he was elevated to the rank of abbot. By this time, almost twenty years had passed since his monastic vows. These were the years of the most difficult trials, the years of confession for Christ. He passed all the trials that fell to his lot: arrest in 1932, two years of army service, a new arrest in the bloody 1937 with a two-year hard labor on the construction of the Moscow-Volga canal, Central Asian exile, fought, risking his life, in the most dangerous areas front, having been saved by the miracle of God from the encirclement, from an enemy bullet and shell, suffered an unfair condemnation for desertion, almost died in Vorkutlag, survived a serious illness and at least three wounds, and we know nothing about many of the troubles that befell him.

In December 1947, he followed Bishop Sergius to Rostov-on-Don, where he became secretary of the diocesan administration and dean of the cathedral. The administrative abilities shown by abbot Pimen contributed to his appointment on August 11, 1949 as the governor of the Pskov-Caves Monastery. The current abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Tikhon (Secretarev), testifies to the prediction made then by Elder Simeon (Zhelnin): “Elder Simeon predicted to Archimandrite Pimen about his hierarchal consecration and Patriarchal service.” This prophecy, as you know, came true. As they say, this is a separate story ...
We hope that this anniversary, as well as the upcoming 100th anniversary of the birth of His Holiness Pimen in July, will cause the appearance of new studies, publications in the press, films and programs about the Patriarch-Confessor, as it would be fair to call His Holiness Pimen.

Student card Izvekov S.M. Andijan evening pedagogical institute. 1940 Church History Museum of the Danilov Monastery.

Extract from the personal file of Izvekov S.M. Rostov diocesan administration. June 4, 1949 Church History Museum of the Danilov Monastery.

Thoughts of the Russian Patriarchs from the beginning to the present day. M., 1999. S. 382.

Cit. Quoted from: Safonov D.V. Unity of command and collegiality in the history of the Supreme Church Administration of the Russian Church from St. Tikhon, Patriarch of All Russia to Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy I. Part 1: Years 1917-1925 // Theological Bulletin published by MDA and S. 2009. No. 8-9. S. 318.

Dionysius (Shishigin), archim. The past flies by...// http://www.bogorodsk-noginsk.ru/stena/63_byloe.html

Cit. by: Dionysius (Shishigin), archim. Decree. op.

Renovationist schism (Materials for church-historical and canonical characteristics) / Comp. I.V. Solovyov M., Publishing house of Krutitsy metochion, 2002. C. 939.

Tikhon (Secretarev), archim. Gates of Heaven. M., 2008. S. 138.

He asked the monk Plato to become the regent of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior in Pushkar, which was located from the monastery on Sretenka.

In the 1920s and early 1930s, he often visited the Deputy Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Sergius, who had been released from prison, found, together with other clergy who did not have their own corner in Moscow, an overnight stay in his house at 6 Baumansky Lane.

The cenobitic hermitage of the Holy Spirit of the Paraclete, where his monastic life began, was located in a picturesque place not far from the Lavra of St. Sergius.

"In one of the most secluded sketes of the Lavra, in the desert of the Holy Spirit of the Paraclete, His Holiness said my monastic vows took place, and there the first steps of my monastic probation took place, "to put everything into account, so that I may gain Christ." Here I was satiated from the sweet meal of conversations and instructions filled with deep wisdom, vast experience and spiritual disposition, always loving and blessed ever-memorable governor of the Lavra, Archimandrite Kronid (Lubimov), who sowed many good seeds in my soul " .

After the tonsure, he continued to direct the choir of the Pimenovsky church. Then he was regent at the Epiphany Cathedral in Dorogomilovo.

In the case of the "church-monarchist organization" there were 71 people who were charged with standard charges. So, hieromonk Pimen was accused of "talking about restoring the monarchy", conducting, together with Deacon Sergiy Turikov, "anti-Soviet agitation", performing treb at home.

Directly on the construction of the canal about. Pimen did not work, and had an article received in the camp, so he was not subject to release. Some of the Dmitlag prisoners were deported to Uzbekistan. Among them was the prisoner Izvekov. The Patriarch did not like to talk about this time or spoke briefly: "It was hard. Thank God that everything passed". Once he said: "Yes, yes ... I had to dig channels". When asked how he knows the Uzbek language, he replied: "Yes ... I had to ... I worked there, dug canals" .

Another story of the war years tells about it like this:

“The unit to which he belonged was surrounded. Salvation came, according to the future Patriarch, from the Mother of God herself: he saw a weeping woman suddenly appear on the path, came up to ask about the cause of the tears and heard: “Go straight along this path and you will be saved ". The military commander, to whom Father Pimen conveyed what was said, heeded the advice and the soldiers really left the encirclement." .

Adrian Yegorov recounted the story he heard from the Patriarch:

“Once Father Pimen (he was instructed to deliver a package with a report to the command) prayed, crossed himself and sat on the saddle. The horse was called Fate. As Patriarch Pimen later said, he lowered the reins and set off. The road lay through the forest. handed the package. They ask him: "Where did you come from?", - and he in response shows the direction with his hand. "No, - they tell him, - it's impossible to come from there, everything is mined there." .

In the same year, Senior Lieutenant Izvekov was appointed adjutant to the commander of the division of the 7th Guards Army, Major General F.I. Shevchenko. Patriarch Pimen subsequently spoke of his commander:

“My commander was kind. He didn’t send me under bullets. But, one day, I had to cross the river ... "(This refers to the crossing under enemy fire across the Uda River, a tributary of the Northern Donets, near the town of Merefa, not far from Kharkov)

On August 28, 1943, the operation was completed. But senior lieutenant Izvekov was not found among the survivors. On September 30, 1943, an entry was made in the staff book of the officers of the regiment:

"Senior Lieutenant Izvekov Sergey Mikhailovich went missing on 26.8.43 Merefsk[y] district of the Kharkov [a] region" .

However, o. Pimen was alive, although his military command did not know about it. He was sent to a hospital in Moscow, where he received treatment after being wounded. According to the track record, Fr. Pimen (Izvekov) was treated in the hospital after being wounded and was discharged from the army.

In Moscow, he lived on Suschevsky Val with two nuns.

On November 24, at a meeting with the bishops participating in the Bishops' Council, held in Moscow on November 21-23, the head of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church G.G. Karpov said that "all clergy who serve in church parishes are exempt from the mobilization call, regardless of age". Probably, knowing about the warming of relations between the Church and the state, Fr. Pimen hoped to return to the priesthood and did not come to the military registration and enlistment office after treatment in the hospital. Thus, he could not be called a deserter, as he was subject to release from service as a clergyman. But on November 18, 1944, L.P. Beria sent a note to I.V. Stalin that hospital workers issue certificates of exemption from military service without sufficient grounds. Checks have begun.

On December 26 of the same year, he was appointed Bishop of Dmitrovsky, Vicar of the Moscow Diocese.

In connection with his accession to the Moscow Patriarchal Throne, from April 28 to May 25, he visited the Alexandria, Antioch, Bulgarian and Jerusalem Orthodox Patriarchates. Was on Athos.

In October of the same year, he visited the Serbian, Greek and Romanian Orthodox Churches, and from November 8 to 10 he made an official trip to Georgia and Armenia and had meetings with the Heads of the Georgian Orthodox Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Continuing fraternal visits, from January 31 to February 5, at the invitation of His Beatitude Metropolitan of Prague and all Czechoslovakia, Dorotheus visited the Czechoslovak Orthodox Church.

From September 16 to 19 of the same year, he attended the meetings of the World Council of Churches in Geneva.

At the invitation of the Primate of the Finnish Orthodox Church, Archbishop of Karelia and All Finland Pavel, from May 3 to May 10, His Holiness Patriarch Pimen paid a friendly visit to the Republic of Finland.

From November 21 to 27 of the same year, he led the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church, which took part in the anniversary celebrations on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the consecration of the Sophia Patriarchal Cathedral Church-monument of the Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky in Bulgaria.

The activity of His Holiness Patriarch Pimen is also wide and varied in the ecumenical field. “Our participation in the ecumenical movement,” said His Holiness, “is based on the desire, in unanimity with other local Churches, to bear witness to Orthodoxy to the Christian world and on the belief that the actions of the Holy Spirit through the prayers and active love of Christians all over the world can heal the sin of division and lead to unity in the Church of Christ. We are happy to see a growing ecumenical brotherhood based on Christian love and striving for unity in the Church of Christ. The Russian Orthodox Church takes an active part in this with her faith, spiritual experience accumulated over the centuries and Christian love."

In his messages, speeches and personal meetings during foreign travels or at receptions at his Moscow residence of the Heads and representatives of various Christian Churches, theologians and prominent figures of world, ecumenical, national Christian organizations and religious associations, His Holiness testified before all Christian brothers about the truth of Orthodoxy, about the spiritual treasures and historical experience of our Church, about the responsibility of all Christians to preserve brotherly love, to make their common contribution to achieving unity in faith and service for the good of peace and life on earth.

Attaching great importance to ecumenical work, His Holiness said: "We did not weaken in strengthening our ecumenical ties, striving, as far as possible, to contribute to the approach of the confessed unity of the now divided Christianity in fulfillment of the testament of Christ and our Lord "that they all be one" (John 17 21). In Christian unity and mutual brotherly love, we see, according to the word of the apostles, the fulfillment of the law (Rom. 13:10) and strive towards this, glorifying with one mouth and one heart the name of the Only Begotten in the Trinity of the glorified God ".

Under his paternal care were the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary, the correspondence department at the MTA and Postgraduate Studies, the Leningrad Theological Schools, and the Odessa Theological Seminary. During the years of his primacy, enrollment in theological schools expanded. Visiting religious and educational institutions, meeting with the leadership, faculty and students of theological schools, attending lectures, His Holiness paid attention to all aspects of the life of theological schools and the educational process, revealed the essence of pastoral service, taught to be faithful sons of the Russian Orthodox Church.

His Holiness paid special attention to the publishing activities of the Moscow Patriarchate, which had been fruitfully carried out during the entire period of His Holiness' primacy. With his blessing, the Bible was repeatedly reprinted, Holy Bible of the New Testament, the Handbook of a Clergyman and other publications reflecting the many-sided life of the Russian Orthodox Church.

He was the guardian and spokesman of the patristic theological tradition in the contemporary theology of the Russian Orthodox Church. " Since childhood, I have been fond of the creations of the "Russian Chrysostom" - Archbishop Innokenty of Kherson, - His Holiness noted in his word. - I have always liked the depth of his thoughts. The more I read his sermons and other writings, the more I admired his theology. As for the form of presentation and the beauty of the style, I was quite sure of the unsurpassedness of this saint". Brought up on the works of this saint, His Holiness Vladyka himself showed in his church and social activities a high example of a sincere, beautiful and understandable pastoral word.

As guardian of faith and Christian morality, St. Patriarch Pimen taught the people of God entrusted to him to follow lofty evangelical ideals, an honest attitude to work, a worthy fulfillment of civic and patriotic duty, and love for the Motherland. The Christmas and Easter Epistles of His Holiness Patriarch Pimen are imbued with a high patriotic feeling. The theme of patriotism sounded especially loud in the Message in connection with the 600th anniversary of the Kulikovo victory and the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic war.

He was an honorary member of the Moscow and Leningrad Theological Academies and a Doctor of Theology from the Moscow Theological Academy, the Evangelical Theological Faculty in Bratislava of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Slovakia, the Orthodox Theological Faculty in Presov of the Orthodox Church and the Sofia Theological Academy named after St. Clement of Ohrid of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

In recent years, he was seriously ill. A sharp deterioration in the state of health occurred in November of the year. At the end of April, the approach of the death of the primate became obvious.

Proceedings

• Speech at a reception hosted in his honor by His Beatitude Metropolitan of All America and Canada Theodosius on June 23, 1982. ZhMP. 1982, no. 12, p. eighteen.
• Response speech at a reception at the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA on June 25, 1982. JMP. 1982, no. 12, p. 19.
• Response speech at a reception given in his honor in Passaic, New Jersey, June 26, 1982. JMP. 1982, no. 12, p. 21.
• Sermon after the Divine Liturgy at St. Nicholas Cathedral in New York on Sunday, June 27, 1982. ZhMP. 1982, no. 12, p. 22.
• Message for the Feast of the Moscow Theological Schools 14 Oct. 1982 ZhMP. 1982, no. 12, p. 47.
• Sermon on Apostolic Work (Prod. Nov. 26, 1979) ZhMP. 1982, no. 12, p. 78.
• "Pure Heart" (The word was delivered on December 6, 1981 in the church in honor of the Position of the Robe of the Lord). ZhMP. 1982, no. 12, p. 79.
• "Deliver us from all evil." (The word was delivered on December 22, 1981 in the church of God's Ave. Elijah). ZhMP. 1982, no. 12, p. 80.
• Speech at a Reception in Honor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama 13 Sept. 1982 ZhMP. 1982, no. 12, p. 97.
• Speech at a reception in honor of the delegation of the Christian Council of Zambia 17 Sept. 1982 ZhMP. 1982, no. 12, p. 116.
• Speech at a reception in honor of the delegation of the Church of Norway headed by the Bishop of Oslo, Dr. Andreas Orflot 1 Oct. 1982 ZhMP. 1982, no. 12, p. 117.
• Speech at a reception in honor of the ecumenical delegation of the WCC at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, 8 Oct. 1982. ZhMP. 1982, no. 12, p. 118.
• Christmas Greetings to the Heads of Churches and Religious Associations.ZHMP. 1983, no. 1, p. 2.
• Greeting message to the participants of the XV Congress of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany.ZHMP. 1983, no. 1, p. 7.
• Word on New Year. (Pronounced at the Epiphany Patriarchal Cathedral on December 31, 1982). ZhMP. 1983, no. 1, p. 34.
• Word on Forgiveness Sunday. (Pronounced at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Epiphany on the evening of Sunday, February 28, 1982). ZhMP. 1983, no. 1, p. 35.
• Speech at a reception in honor of Mr. Nikkyo Niwano (Japan) President Rissho Kosei-Kai. Moscow, 23 Sept. 1982 ZhMP. 1983, no. 1, p. 46.
• Welcoming speech to the Primate of the Syrian Orthodox Church St. To the Patriarch of Antioch and all the East Mar Ignatius Zakka Ivas. ZhMP. 1983, no. 1, p. 63.
• Word on the day of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of episcopal consecration in Epiphany. Patr. Cathedral on December 4, 1982. ZhMP. 1983, no. 2, p. fourteen.
• Speech at a reception on December 4, 1982. ZhMP. 1983, no. 2, p. fifteen.
• Word before the Holy Shroud (pronounced on April 16, 1982 in the Epiphany Patriarch's Cathedral). ZhMP. 1983, no. 2, p. 54.
• Speech during a visit to His Holiness by a delegation from the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States on December 7, 1982. ZhMP. 1983, no. 2, p. 72.
• Speech at a prayer service in the Antioch Compound in Moscow (on the occasion of the name day of Patr. Ignatius IV of Antioch on December 20, 1982). ZhMP. 1983, no. 3, p. 47.
• Easter message to the archpastors, pastors and all the children of the Russian Orthodox Church. ZhMP. 1983, no. 4, p. 2.
• The word at the presentation of the bishop's baton to Bishop Sergius of Solnechnogorsk in the Epiphany Patr. Cathedral in Moscow on 30 Jan. 1983 ZhMP. 1983, no. 4, p. eight.
• Speech at the academic evening on December 14, 1982. ZhMP. 1983, no. 4, p. 17.
• Speech at the presentation of the Order "Big Golden Star of Peoples' Friendship" on March 9, 1983. ZHMP. 1983, no. 5, p. 2.
• Response speech at a reception at the embassy of the GDR, March 9, 1983. ZhMP. 1983, no. 5, p. four.
• Sermon after Easter Vespers 18 Apr. 1982. ZhMP. 1983, no. 5, p. 31.
• Appeal of St. Patr. Pimen to the participants of the "round table". ZhMP. 1983, no. 5, p. 39.
• A word at the reception in honor of the participants of the "round table". ZhMP. 1983, no. 5, p. 59.
• An open message to US President R. Reagan. ZhMP. 1983, no. 6, p. 2.
• Speech at a reception in honor of the delegation of the KMK regional association in Czechoslovakia 21 Apr. 1983. ZhMP. 1983, no. 6, p. 53.
• Message to the participants of the 5th interview of representatives Russk. Right. Churches and Pax Christi Internationalis (April 4, 1983). ZhMP. 1983, no. 6, p. 54.
• Word at the Divine Liturgy in the Epiphany Patr. Cathedral May 15, 1983 ZhMP. 1983, no. 7, p. 27.
• Speech at a reception in honor of the Secretary General of the WCC, Dr. Philip Potter, May 16, 1983. ZhMP. 1983, no. 7, p. 45.
• Greetings at the meeting with the moderator Center. Committee of the WCC archbishop. Dr. Edward Scott 25 Apr. 1983. ZhMP. 1983, no. 7, p. 46.
• Greetings to Mr. Herald Gotting, Chairman of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany. ZhMP. 1983, no. 8, p. ten.
• Word on the day of the 12th anniversary of the patriarchal enthronement. ZhMP. 1983, no. 8, p. 17.
• Greetings at the graduation act of the Moscow Theological Schools on June 19, 1983. ZhMP. 1983, no. 8, p. 19.
• Message to the participants of the World Christian Conference "Life and Peace", April 18, 1983. ZhMP. 1983, no. 8, p. 47.
• Speech at a meeting with Dr. Ion..ikstrem, Archbishop of Turku and Finland, June 7, 1983. ZhMP. 1983, no. 8, p. 61.
• Message to the participants of the conference "The testimony and ministry of Christian women of the socialist countries of Europe in the ecumenical movement and their activities for the benefit of peace, justice and life", 20 April. 1983. ZhMP. 1983, no. 8, p. 68.
• The word after reading the Akathist to St. Alexy in Epiphany. Patr. Cathedral June 13, 1971 ZhMP. 1983, no. 9, p. 27.
• Speech at a Reception in Honor of the Participants of the Meeting of the Heads and Representatives of Churches and Religious Associations in the USSR (Moscow, July 19, 1983) ZhMP. 1983, no. 9, p. 41.
• Appeal to the participants of the VI Assembly of the WCC (Moscow, July 21, 1983). ZhMP. 1983, no. 9, p. fifty.
• Greetings to the participants of the VI theological interview of representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (Moscow, June 2, 1983). ZhMP. 1983, no. 9, p. 59.
• Greeting message to the participants of the consultation of the Conference of European Churches. ZhMP. 1983, no. 9, p. 65.
• Greetings to the Chairman of the Conference of Church Leaderships of the Union of Evangelical Churches in the GDR, Bishop Dr. Johannes Hempel. ZhMP. 1983, no. 9, p. 69.
• Greetings to the World Conference against the Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs (Hiroshima, 1983, Aug. 19, 1983). ZhMP. 1983, no. 10, p. 31.
• Message of St. Patr. Elijah 11, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, archbishop. Mtskheta and Tbilisi. ZhMP. 1983, no. 10, p. 40.
• Greetings to the participants of the IV Orthodox-Reformed Theological Interview (Debrecen IV). ZhMP. 1983, no. 10, p. 59.
• Response speech on the day of his namesake 9 Sept. 1983 ZhMP. 1983, no. 11, p. eight.
• Word on the day of the celebration in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" (November 6, 1982). ZhMP. 1983, no. 11, p. 31.
• Christmas message to archpastors, shepherds and all faithful children Russk. Right. Churches. ZhMP. 1983, no. 12, p. 2.
• To His Holiness, His Holiness Vazgen 1, Supreme Patriarch-Catholicos of All Armenians (on the occasion of his 75th birthday). ZhMP. 1983, no. 12, p. 57.
• Christmas greetings to the Heads of Churches and religious associations. ZhMP. 1984, no. 1, p. 2.
• Epistle in connection with the consecration of the temple in the name of St. Irkutsk Innokenty in Detroit (USA), March 4, 1983. ZhMP. 1984, no. 1, p. eight.
• Message to the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary on the day of the academic feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, 14 Oct. 1983 ZhMP. 1984, no. 1, p. 29.
• Greetings to the participants of the meeting dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the KMK (October 10, 1983). ZhMP. 1984, no. 1, p. 46.
• Speech at a reception in honor of the participants of the meeting of the KMK Working Committee on 20 October. 1983 ZhMP. 1984, no. 1, p. 58.
• Greeting message to His Beatitude His Beatitude Dorotheus, Met. Prague and all Czechoslovakia (October 10, 1983). ZhMP. 1984, no. 1, p. 63.
• Greetings to the Archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia, Dr. Janis Matulis. ZhMP. 1984, no. 1, p. 67.
• Sermon at the Epiphany Patriarchal Cathedral before the New Year's prayer service 31 Dec. 1983 ZhMP. 1984, no. 2, p. 7.
• The word "Now let Thy servant go, Master" (February 14, 1983) ZhMP. 1984, no. 2, p. 33.
• Speech before the memorial service in Epiphany. Patr. Cathedral in Moscow 12 Feb. 1984 (On the death of Yu.V. Andropov). ZhMP. 1984, no. 3, p. 3.
• Speech at a reception in honor of the participants in the meeting of the Working Presidium of the World Conference "Religious Figures for Saving the Sacred Gift of Life from Nuclear Catastrophe" (Moscow, January 3, 1984). ZhMP. 1984, no. 3, p. 45.
• Greeting letter to the participants of the Youth Seminar "Our Service for the Life of the World" (September 19, 1983). ZhMP. 1984, no. 3, p. 57.
• Message to the participants of the meeting of the Joint Anglican-Orthodox Commission on Doctrial Questions. ZhMP. 1984, no. 3, p. 66.
• Paschal message to archpastors, shepherds and all faithful children Russk. Right. Churches. ZhMP. 1984, no. 4, p. 2.
• Epistle to Bishop Valentin of Zvenigorod, representative of Patr. Moscow under the Patriarch of Antioch (in connection with the 25th anniversary of the representation of Patriarch Moscow in Damascus). ZhMP. 1984, no. 4, p. 9.
• Message to the rector, clergy, church council and parishioners of the St. Nicholas Church in Sofia (in connection with the 30th anniversary of the church), November 18, 1983. ZhMP. 1984, no. 4, p. ten.
• Easter greetings to the Heads of Churches and religious associations. (Easter of Christ 1984). ZhMP. 1984, no. 5, p. 2.
• Sermon on forgiveness of neighbors (pronounced at the Epiphany Patriarchal Cathedral on Forgiveness Sunday, March 4, 1984). ZhMP. 1984, no. 5, p. 38.
• Speech at the Plenum of the Soviet Committee for the Defense of Peace, March 20, 1984, Moscow. ZhMP. 1984, no. 5, p. 45.
• Speech at a reception in honor of the participants of the "round table" "Space without weapons" (April 3, 1984). ZhMP. 1984, no. 6, p. 46.
• Speech at a reception on the occasion of the visit of the King of Spain to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra on May 11, 1984. ZhMP. 1984, no. 7, p. 2.
• Speech at a reception on the occasion of the anniversary of the patriarchal enthronement on June 3, 1984. ZhMP. 1984, no. 8, p. 9.
• Greetings to the IV Congress of Patriarchal Parishes in the USA. ZhMP. 1984, no. 8, p. fifteen.
• A word on the graduation day of the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary June 14, 1984 ZhMP. 1984, no. 8, p. twenty.
• Sermon on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord (August 18, 1983, delivered at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Epiphany). ZhMP. 1984, no. 8, p. 38.
• Speech at a Reception for a Group of Participants in a Seminar on Peace, Human Rights and Trust (July 2, 1984, Moscow). ZhMP. 1984, no. 8, p. 47.
• Speech at a reception in honor of the delegation of the US religious community (June 19, 1984, Moscow). ZhMP. 1984, no. 8, p. 58.
• Message to the participants of the seminar of the Churches of the USSR - members of the CEC (May 10, 1984). ZhMP. 1984, no. 8, p. 60.
• Word at the reception on the occasion of his 74th birthday (June 23, 1984). ZhMP. 1984, no. 9, p. eight.
• Word on the feast in honor of the Bogolyubskaya Icon of the Mother of God (June 30, 1984 in the Epiphany Patr. Sob.). ZhMP. 1984, no. 9, p. 41.
• Message to the Secretary General of the WCC, Dr. Philip Potter. ZhMP. 1984, no. 10, p. 2.
• Appeal to the participants of the UN regional conference (Leningrad, June 11-16, 1984). ZhMP. 1984, no. 10, p. 31.
• Appeal to the participants of the Assembly of Faiths of Romania "For Peace and Disarmament" (Bucharest, June 21-23, 1984). ZhMP. 1984, no. 10, p. 32.
• Appeal to the participants of the conference of the Christian Public Association in Poland (Moscow, June 25, 1984). ZhMP. 1984, no. 10, p. 34.
• Speech at a reception on the occasion of his namesake day, 9 Sept. 1984 ZhMP. 1984, no. 11, p. 13.
• Christmas message to archpastors, shepherds and all faithful children Russk. Right. Churches. ZhMP. 1984, no. 12, p. 2.
• The response word in the departments. Cathedral in the name of the Archangel Michael of God in Belgrade 30 Sept. 1984. ZhMP. 1984, no. 12, p. 6.
• Response speech at a gala dinner at the Serbian Patriarchate on 30 Sept. 1984 ZhMP. 1984, no. 12, p. 9.
• Word at the Holy Trinity Church in Belgrade 2 Oct. 1984 ZhMP. 1984, no. 12, p. ten.
• Word in Patr. Cathedral in Pecs, 4 Oct. 1984 ZhMP. 1984, no. 12, p. eleven.
• Word after the Divine Liturgy at the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, 8 Oct. 1984. ZhMP. 1984, No. 12, S. 16.
• Speech at a reception at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, 8 Oct. 1984 ZhMP. 1984, no. 12, p. 16.
• Word on the annual act of the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary 14 Oct. 1984 ZhMP. 1984, no. 12, p. 28.
• Speech during the reception of a delegation of women from countries Latin America and Caribbean 28 Sept. 1984 Moscow. ZhMP. 1984, no. 12, p. 51.
• Speech at the presentation of the Peacekeeping Medal of the Christian Social Association in Poland to him, 18 Oct. 1984 ZhMP. 1984, no. 12, p. 52.
• Speech at Dr. Billy Graham's Honors Reception, 21 Sept. 1984 Moscow. ZhMP. 1984, no. 12, p. 59.
• Word before the New Year's prayer 31 Dec. 1984 in Epiphany. Patr. cathedral. ZhMP. 1985, no. 1, p. 2.
• Christmas Greetings to the Heads of Churches and Religious Associations (R.H. 1984/85). ZhMP. 1985, no. 1, p. 3.
• Speech at a reception in honor of the delegation of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, 23 Oct. 1984 ZhMP. 1985, no. 1, p. 53.
• Greetings to the Participants of the Tenth Theological Interview "Arnoldshain-X" (Kyiv, 25-29 Sept. 1984) ZhMP. 1985, no. 1, p. 56.
• Word on the eve of the holiday in honor of the icon B.M. "The guarantor of sinners" on March 19, 1984 in the church. St. Nicholas, in Khamovniki in Moscow. ZhMP. 1985, no. 3, p. 36.
• Word after the removal of the Holy Shroud (April 20, 1984) ZhMP. 1985, no. 4, p. 26.
• Sermon on Forgiveness Sunday (February 24, 1985). ZhMP. 1985, no. 4, p. 27.
• Speech at a reception in honor of the participants of the "round table" on 13 Feb. 1985 ZhMP. 1985, no. 4, p. 35.
• Greetings to the participants of the theological interview. ZhMP. 1985, No. 4, p.62.
• Paschal message to archpastors, shepherds and all faithful children Russk. Right. Churches (R.H. 1985). ZhMP. 1985, no. 4, p. 2.
• Word before the memorial service in the Epiphany Patr. Cathedral on March 12, 1985 (according to K.U. Chernenko). ZhMP. 1985, no. 4, p. 5.
• Easter greetings to the Heads of Churches and religious associations. ZhMP. 1985, no. 5, p. 2.
• Epistle of the Rev. archpastors, God-loving shepherds, honest monastics and all the beloved flock of Rus. Right. Churches on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the glorious Victory of the Soviet people in Vel. Fatherland war 1941-1945 ZhMP. 1985, no. 5, p. four.
• Speech at the presentation of the Order of St. Prince Vladimir 1st degree to the Publishing Department of the Moscow Patriarchate. ZhMP. 1985, no. 5, p. 13.
• Speech at the opening of the solemn meeting of the Heads and representatives of the Churches and religious associations of the USSR (Trinity-Sergius Lavra, April 18, 1985). ZhMP. 1985, no. 5, p. 40.
• Closing remarks at the solemn meeting of the Heads and representatives of Churches and religious associations in the USSR. ZhMP. 1985, no. 5, p. fifty.
• Speech at a reception in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. (Trinity-Sergius Lavra, April 18, 1985). ZhMP. 1985, no. 5, p. 51.
• Word in the Epiphany Patr. Cathedral for worship in connection with the 40th anniversary Great Victory. ZhMP. 1985, no. 7, p. 5.
• Word on the occasion of the 1100th anniversary of the blessed death of St. equal to ap. Methodius, Enlightener of the Slavs (spoke on June 23, 1985 in the Epiphany Patriarch Cathedral). ZhMP. 1985, no. 8, p. 12.
• Word on the graduation act at the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary June 6, 1985 ZhMP. 1985, no. 8, p. 16.
• Speech at a reception in honor of the participants of the VI All-Christian Peace Congress on June 30, 1985. ZhMP. 1985, no. 9, p. 51.
• Message to the participants of the VI All-Christian Peace Congress. ZhMP. 1985, no. 9, p. 53.
• Speech at a reception at the USSR Embassy in Prague on May 21, 1985. ZhMP. 1985, no. 10, p. 5.
• Word at the presentation of the bishop's baton to Bishop Nikolai of Zvenigorod in Epiphany. Patr. Cathedral July 21, 1985 ZhMP. 1985, no. 10, p. 7.
• A word in response to a greeting from Metropolitan Damascus of Switzerland, June 7, 1985. ZhMP. 1985, no. 10, p. 58.
• Speech during the reception Archbishop. Dr. Jon Wikström June 12, 1985. ZhMP. 1985, no. 10, p. 60.
• Closing remarks at the solemn act at the MDA on July 23, 1985. ZhMP. 1985, no. 11, p. four.
• Reply speech at a festive meal in the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra on July 23, 1985. ZhMP. 1985, no. 11, p. 7.
• Speech at the presentation of the Order of the Red Banner of Labor on August 30. 1985. ZhMP. 1985, no. 11, p. 34.
• Word at the reception on the day of his namesake 9 Sept. 1985 ZhMP. 1985, no. 11, p. 40.
• Greetings to Dr. Emilio Castro, General Secretary of the WCC, at Epiphany. Patr. cathedral after the Deities. Liturgy 15 Sept. 1985 ZhMP. 1985, no. 12, p. 51.
• Speech at the presentation of the Order of Friendship of Czechoslovakia on 30 Oct. 1985 ZhMP. 1986, no. 1, p. 6.
• Greetings to the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Vazgen 1 (Moscow, September 20, 1985). ZhMP. 1986, no. 1, p. four.
• Speech at the presentation of the Order of Friendship of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (Prague, 30 Oct. 1985) ZhMP. 1986, no. 1, p. 6.
• Message to the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary in connection with the annual act of October 14, 1985. ZhMP. 1986, no. 1, p. 22.
• Speech at the reception of the delegation of the Greek Church (July 19, 1985). ZhMP. 1986, no. 1, p. 47.
• Word in the Epiphany Patr. Cathedral before the New Year's prayer service 31 Dec. 1985 ZhMP. 1986, no. 2, p. 12.
• Greetings from the Rev. Sergius, Metropolitan of Odessa and Kherson (Moscow, December 6, 1985). ZhMP. 1986, no. 3, p. 19.
• Message to the participants of the VI interview of representatives of Russian Law. Churches and Pax Christi Internationalis. (Odessa, November 15-18, 1985). Moscow, November 14, 1985 ZhMP. 1986, no. 3, p. 40.
• Easter message. ZhMP. 1986, no. 4, p. 2-8.
• Message to His Holiness His Holiness Demetrius I, Archbishop of Constantinople - New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch. ZhMP. 1986, no. 4, p. 3-5.
• Welcoming speech at the solemn act in honor of the 300th anniversary of the Moscow Theological Academy 29 Dec. 1985 ZhMP. 1986, no. 4, p. 10-11.
• Word before the Holy Shroud (delivered on April 12, 1985 in the Epiphany Patriarchal Cathedral). ZhMP. 1986, no. 4, p. 40.
• Easter greetings to the Heads of Churches and religious associations; To His Holiness, His Holiness Demetrius I, Archbishop of Constantinople... ZhMP. 1986, no. 5, p. 2.
• Word in Forgiveness Sunday(March 16, 1986 in the Epiphany Patr. Cathedral). ZhMP. 1986, No. 5, p.27.
• Message to the participants of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Lviv Church Council in 1946. (Moscow, May 12, 1986). ZhMP. 1986, no. 7, p. 2-3.
• An open letter to the President of the United States of America, Mr. Ronald Reagan. (Moscow, June 10, 1986). ZhMP. 1986, no. 7, p. 7-9.
• Word on the solemn act dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Department of the All-Russian Central Council (Moscow, March 28, 1986). ZhMP. 1986, no. 7, p. 19-20.
• A word to the graduates of MDA and MDS (June 15, 1986). ZhMP. 1986, no. 8, p. 26.
• Greetings to the participants of the seminar "Pyukhtitsy-3" (Pyukhtitsy, June 14-17, 1986) ZhMP. 1986, no. 8, p. 56-57.
• Word at the meal on the day of St. Sergius (Trinity-Sergius Lavra, July 18, 1986). ZhMP. 1986, no?, p. 9, 12.
• Appeal to the participants of the IV Conf. " round table". (Moscow, May 20, 1986). ZhMP. 1986, No. 9, pp. 41-42.
• Appeal to the delegation of the German Episcopal Conference. (Moscow, 20/V-2/V1, 1986). ZhMP. 1986, no. 9, p. 61.
• Christmas Message... (M., R.Kh. 86/87) ZhMP. 1986, no. 12, p. 2-3.
• Message to Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU (Moscow, October 28, 1986). ZhMP. No. 12, p. 3-4.
• Message from Mr. Krutitsky and Kolomna Juvenaly, clergy and representatives of the church councils of the Moscow diocese (Moscow, September 16, 1986). ZhMP. 1986, 12, 52.
• A word to the participants in the prayer for peace in Bogoyavl. Patriarchal Cathedral (Moscow, October 26, 1986). ZhMP. 1986, 11, 7.