Alone with God
Monasticism is the renunciation of everything worldly and the seclusion of a person in deserted places for the salvation of the soul and unity with God. This is a life of silence, prayer, asceticism and obedience. Christian monasticism was formed under the influence of the Gospel teaching at the beginning of the 4th century. The ideals of monastic life are chastity, poverty and obedience, achieved through unceasing physical and spiritual asceticism and complete dedication to God.
The first monastic settlements were in Egypt, Syria and Asia Minor, and then in Palestine and Constantinople. At present, only Athos has preserved a large center of monasticism, which is still a stronghold of Orthodoxy and a bastion of Eastern Christianity.
Holy Mount Athos is under the protection of the Mother of God. According to church tradition, the Mother of God and the evangelist John the Theologian were heading to Cyprus to visit Lazarus. Suddenly a strong wind blew and the ship rushed in the other direction. Suddenly he stopped off the coast of Athos without suffering any damage. The Mother of God came ashore in the place where the Iveron Monastery is now located, and, seeing the will of God in this wonderful event, admiring the beauty of these places, she turned to her Son with a request to give her Mount Athos. And a voice was heard proclaiming: “Let this place be your inheritance, your garden and paradise, and also a haven of salvation for those who wish to be saved.” The pagans who lived on Mount Athos at that time, seeing this, glorified God and wished to be baptized, and the pagan temples collapsed.
“...we have all left ourselves as waste, and after You we die”
Many miracles were performed by the Mother of God to strengthen the faith of new Christians. Giving them a farewell blessing, the Mother of God said: “Let this place be my lot, given to me by my son and my God. I will be an intercessor for this place and a warm intercessor for it before God.” After this, the Most Holy Theotokos sailed to Cyprus. Thus the Holy Mountain was consecrated, becoming the earthly inheritance of the Mother of God.
The first monastic settlements on Mount Athos arose soon after the Greeks adopted Christianity. The Monk Peter of Athos is considered one of the first Athonite monks.
Already from early Byzantine times, many monks from all over the empire flocked to Athos. It can be assumed that monks appeared on Athos in the 7th century. The emergence and spread of monasticism there was facilitated by the following three historical circumstances: 1) the deserted places of the Holy Mountain; 2) the emergence of new enemies of the empire - the Arabs, mainly in the eastern countries, which resulted in the disappearance of the large monastic centers that previously existed there and the removal from them of a large number of monks who sought to obtain new places to live and continue their asceticism; 3) the hostile position of the Byzantine emperors during the period of iconoclasm towards the monks.
Since the 9th century, the Holy Mountain officially became the main monastic center. This is evidenced by the fact that the Svyatogorsk monks participated in the synod of 843, convened by Empress Theodora to restore and recreate the icons. In this era, the monks Peter of Athos and Euthymius of Thessaloniki are known - representatives of two different ascetic tendencies: the first - desertism, the second - Laurianism.
In accordance with the chrisovul of Emperor Basil I of 885, Athos was intended for residence only by ascetics and has since been prohibited to shepherds and other laymen who stayed illegally in the “Garden of the Virgin”.
When trying to determine the origins of organized monastic life on the Holy Mountain, one should not draw strictly defined conclusions. Using the example of other monastic centers of that time, it can be assumed that Athonite monasticism also went through three stages - ascetic, kinot (community) and cenobitic. So, at the beginning of the peninsula, in flatter places, the first to settle were desert monks, who came here fleeing various kinds of raids, especially from Saracen pirates. Then the monks left this area and, for greater safety, moved to Athos, settling on its many peaks and inaccessible slopes. Subsequently, the hermit monks united in laurels, the prototype of which was the ancient Palestinian laurels. Of these laurels, two are currently known - Klimentova, near the present Iversky Monastery, and Department of Elders on the hill of Zygos, which was also the most significant of the laurels. The organizer of the communal way of monastic life was the monk John, abbot of the Kolovsky monastery near Ierissa.
Main chapel of the Catholicon of Vatopedi Monastery
The founder of communal monastic life on the Holy Mountain in the full sense of the word was the friend and confessor of Emperor Nikephoros Phocas, the Monk Athanasius of Athos, who laid the foundation of the famous monastery of the Great Lavra in 963. Thus, wooden huts (kalivas) replaced large stone houses, and the life of hermits was replaced by the organized life of the monastic brethren. However, this innovation became the cause of indignation against Athanasius among many Svyatogorsk monks, including the Lavrians.
The opposition to St. Athanasius was led by the monk Pavel of Xiropotamia. This noble Byzantine practiced asceticism in the desert, in complete solitude. And Athanasius, who was distinguished by great piety and many virtues, along with solitude, called for monks to live together.
Paul, along with other monks, went to Constantinople to protest before John Tzimiskes the actions of Athanasius, who allegedly brought luxury to Athos and violated the ancient customs and sanctity of these places. The emperor sent the monk Euthymius the Studite to Athos to investigate, however, as one might expect, he made a decision very favorable for his friend Athanasius and eventually recognized the rights of large monasteries in accordance with the views of Athanasius. This decision, supported by the canonical orders of St. Athanasius, resulted in the drawing up of the First Rule of the Holy Mountain (971-972), which to this day continues to be the main law in force on Athos. Thus, Athanasius attracted the attention of many monks who had previously lived alone in separate cells. Among them were also Georgians, Armenians and Latins, and the latter, on their own initiative, founded the monastery of the Virgin of Amalfi near Morfonou, a bay north of the Lavra. Currently, only its majestic tower remains from this monastery.
In addition to the monastery of the Great Lavra, other monasteries were built in the 10th century - Vatopedi and Iveron, and also some smaller monasteries were founded - Dokhiarov, Filofeev, Xenophon and a number of others, currently known, unfortunately, only by name.
In the 11th century, when a communal way of life was established on Athos, other monasteries were founded, the number of which reached 180, although in most cases we are talking about large cells, and not monasteries in the modern sense of the word. However, at the end of the same century, especially during the reign of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, the monasteries were subjected to many pirate raids, as a result of which many of them were destroyed. During this era, Athos was also invaded (fortunately, for a short time) by many Wallachian shepherds, who disrupted the life of the Svyatogorsk monks. In connection with this event, the Chrisovul of Alexei was published, in which, among other things, entry to Athos was forbidden to any female creature.
In the 12th century, monks of other nationalities arrived on Athos: Ivers (Georgians), Latins (Western Europeans), Serbs and Russians, who were united by a common Orthodox faith.
Procession
In the next, XIII century, during the period of the Latin Empire (1204-1261), Athos, like the entire Byzantine Empire, was subjected to invasions by the Franks (crusaders), from which it was rescued only after the reconquest of Constantinople by the Palaiologans. During these years, Athos was part of the Kingdom of Thessalonica, and the monks of Svyatogorsk were repeatedly subjected to pressure, the purpose of which was to accept a union between the Western and Eastern churches. Unfortunately, this pressure continued subsequently from Emperor Michael VIII and Patriarch John the Century, who were Uniates. At the same time, in their desire to convert the monks to Catholicism, the latter subjected Mount Athos to terrible persecution, which resulted in the destruction of many buildings and the murder of Svyatogorsk monks in Protata, Vatopedi, Zografov and other monasteries.
However, after the death of Michael, the monasteries again flourished, especially thanks to the patronizing attitude towards them of the son and heir of Emperor Andronikos II, who himself opposed the church union. The only dark spot in the history of his reign was the terrible invasion of Catalan pirates, whom the emperor used in his troops as mercenaries. In addition to other areas of the empire, the Catalans also invaded Athos (beginning of the 14th century), which they destroyed, killing monks and robbing monasteries, and when leaving, they took with them a large number of relics. Thus, the number of monasteries then decreased to 25, of which 20 have survived to date.
The emperors of Constantinople and Trebizond also provided assistance in the restoration of Athos. Since this era was a time of unprecedented rise in Serbia, the Serbian rulers began to send generous gifts to the Athos monasteries, especially Hilandar, where their compatriots lived (and still live). Large cells were founded, which were the exartims of monasteries, and many of them were elevated to the rank of monasteries. Finally, many monasteries were united with each other.
Bishop's service
In the 15th century, after numerous disasters and destruction, Athos experienced one of the best periods of its history. The Svyatogorsk monks continued to selflessly fight against church union, defending Orthodoxy. After the fall of Thessalonica (1430) and Constantinople (1453), Athos, like all of Greece, was enslaved by the Turks. The Athonite monks tried to maintain good relations with the Sultan and therefore declared their submission to Murad II immediately after his conquest of Thessalonica. For his part, the Sultan recognized them as the owners of the monasteries, which was then confirmed by Muhammad II the Conqueror, who captured Constantinople. Thus, some independence was achieved for Athos, which in the Sultan’s firmans is called “a country where the name of God is blessed day and night” and “a refuge for the poor and strangers.” This era saw relative prosperity, which continued into the 16th century. One of the evidence of this is the founding of the Stavronikitsky monastery around the middle of this century, after which the number of Athos monasteries reached the present one. During these years, especially after the conquest of Serbia by the Turks, many Serbs arrived at the Holy Mountain, as a result of which a Serbian monk was repeatedly elected as protem in Kinot.
“I sing to my God, until I am”
However, exorbitant taxes and confiscation of monastic properties by the Turkish authorities plunged the monasteries into a severe economic crisis. This was the reason for the emergence of an idiorhythmic way of life on Athos, which was increasingly practiced in individual monasteries, and at the beginning of the 18th century became a general phenomenon. We can say that this new way of monastic existence arose as a way to solve the difficulties experienced by Athos at that time. Thus, the abbots in the monasteries were replaced by epitropes (consisting of several members of the commission), and the priest in Kareya was replaced by four epistates. At the same time, the number of monks decreased, as a result of which there were very few of them left in some monasteries. From this time on, the construction of the first monasteries began on Mount Athos, which operate to this day.
The patrons and benefactors of the Holy Mountain in these difficult times are the rulers of the Danube countries of Hungary and Moldova, then the Russian tsars, as well as many patriarchs and generally pious Christians. At the same time, Athonite monks receive permission to visit the above-mentioned countries from time to time, traveling with the Life-Giving Tree of the Holy Cross and parts of holy relics and thus collecting money.
It is necessary to say about the high spiritual life on Athos and its enormous support for the enslaved Greek people during all the years of Turkish rule. Particularly in the 17th and 18th centuries, Athos became the spiritual center of the Greek people and the focus of scientists and artists, giving the enslaved nation scholars, patriarchs, bishops, priests, teachers and preachers. It is not difficult to understand how necessary they were in those days to inspire the Greeks and help the people preserve the traditions of their ancestors, strengthen the faith and prepare the Greeks for national revival. This was achieved primarily thanks to the founding and activities of the “Athos Academy” at the Vatopedi monastery, in which such illustrious figures as Eugene Voulgaris, Athanasius of Paros, Cosmas of Aetolia, Zerdzulakis and others studied and taught. Mention should also be made of the opening in the Lavra in this era (mid-18th century) of the Greek printing house by the monk Cosmas Lavriot, thanks to which books became widespread on Athos and among the enslaved Greek people. This printing house was destroyed shortly before the start of the National Liberation War of 1821.
Elder Joseph of Vatopedi
However, the development of spiritual life on Athos and its rise in general were stopped with the beginning of the National Liberation War of 1821, which had a huge impact on the Athos monks. In addition to their contribution to the preparation of the struggle, which was largely carried out here, the Svyatogorsk brethren helped it in every possible way. Many monks left their place of hermitage on Mount Athos, where a Turkish garrison was established: some left here for the sake of salvation from the cruelties and murders committed by the Turks, others - for the sake of direct participation in the war with them, taking off their cassock, picking up a sword and joining the ranks of those who fought Greeks The surviving monks returned to Athos about ten years later and again set about the task of restoring and equipping the monasteries. Thus, Athos entered a new period of its prosperity, which continues to this day.
monk Mercury
In the Caucasus mountains. Notes of a modern desert dweller
Editor's Preface
“Notes of a Modern Desert Dweller” is a completely special genre of spiritual literature. This unusual work is based on the diary entries of a modern ascetic monk, who labored in the Caucasus mountains for more than 30 years (from the late 50s to the early 90s). The life of hermits, full of dangers and incidents, despite the absolute authenticity of the events described, reminds the reader of an adventure novel, a kind of Robinsonade, although, of course, the author, who is now over seventy, did not set such a goal for himself. Father Mercury simply wrote down in his diary what was happening in the inner, spiritual life of the practitioners of the Jesus Prayer and, of course, everything that had to be encountered on the path of the most ancient ascetic feat, so unusual and dangerous in Soviet times.
And the dangers were by no means imaginary. It was the second half of the 20th century, the end of the 50s, new, this time Khrushchev’s persecution of the Church, furious atheistic propaganda in the press and in works of art. The famous Soviet poet Alexei Surkov, having finally overcome fear during these years, triumphantly declares to the entire Soviet people:
Do you think it wasn't scary -
Decide that there is no God in the world,
That there is another force in our universe
Controls the course of stars and planets?
It was now, when state atheism did what Hitler could not do, promising: "I will free you from the chimera of conscience" when it was revealed to the Russian people “the humanistic nature of atheism and its role as a spiritual liberator of the individual from the illusions that enslave him”(conscience, morality, mercy; - Ed.), right now, when “the social roots of religion have been completely undermined, and the disappearance of the exploiting classes has led to the elimination of the class base of religious organizations,” suddenly it turns out that the faith and Church of Christ are not only alive, but even in these conditions continue to give birth to more and more ascetics through the word of truth.
The construction of socialism is in full swing in the country, writers and poets are enjoying the “thaw”, pioneers are resting in pioneer camps, their parents are on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, and at this time churches of God are being closed by the thousands, monasteries are being dispersed, confessors of the Christian faith are languishing in prisons and camps (by no means pioneers) and in psychiatric hospitals, suffering inhuman humiliation. From helicopters, secluded hermit cells are found in the Caucasus Mountains, their slopes are combed with dogs. This is the historical background against which the events of the book take place.
And yet, on its pages we meet people who, despite the contempt of society, the direct danger of going to jail and even losing their very lives, choose the hardest of all possible life paths.
By embarking on this path, they deliberately become outcasts in a society from which the concepts of mercy and meekness, Christian love, honor, conscience and moral purity have almost been banished. Where the crown of life, its final result, is recognized as only a coffin with a stinking corpse, Christian ascetics are, of course, considered abnormal. But they, leaving everything earthly, follow the path that leads them to freedom. To freedom from passions, freedom from sin, to freedom that brings a person into the Kingdom of eternal life and the Love of God.
In his preface, the author of the Notes, monk Mercury, notes that his memoirs are intended primarily for monastics, but, without any doubt, they will be read by a variety of people. Among them may be those whose overheated imagination draws pictures of a rapid rise to spiritual heights, but certainly on the condition of escaping to the heights of the Caucasus or, for example, Altai - away from the “world mired in sin.” However, reading the memoirs of Fr. Mercury, who with the conscientiousness of a chronicler told us about the circumstances of life of modern hermits, they will have to draw a not entirely optimistic conclusion: the sin-loving world has long penetrated there too...
Again and again, the words of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), prophetically addressed to us, his descendants, come to mind a hundred years ago: “At present, in our country, hermitage in a deserted desert can be considered absolutely impossible, and seclusion is very difficult, as it is more dangerous and more incompatible (with the internal structure of modern man. - Ed.) than ever before. We must see the will of God in this and submit to it. If you want to be a silent person pleasing to God, love silence and get used to it with all possible effort. Do not allow yourself idle talk, either in church, or at meals, or in your cell; do not allow yourself to leave the monastery except for the most extreme need and for the shortest time; do not allow yourself to make acquaintances, especially close ones, either outside or inside the monastery; do not allow yourself free circulation or harmful entertainment; behave like a wanderer and stranger both in the monastery and in earthly life itself - and you will become a God-loving silencer, a hermit, a hermit. If God sees you capable of desert or seclusion, then He Himself, by His ineffable destinies, will give you a deserted and silent life, as He delivered it to Blessed Seraphim of Sarov, or He will deliver it to Blessed George, the recluse of the Zadonsk shepherd.”(Vol. V, p. 70).
It will not be an exaggeration to say that anyone who today dreams of living in the desert is deceived by demonic dreams.
However, the circumstances that arose during the period of Khrushchev’s persecution of the Church, when almost all monasteries were closed, and regional and district commissioners (for religious affairs) strictly controlled the clergy, should be considered exceptional. For many monastics (and even those still aspiring to monasticism), for reasons both internal and external, there was no place in the several miraculously preserved monasteries. This justifies their forced flight to the mountains. They did not think about any special feats, it was about the very possibility of their existence, but existence in the same quality, that is, about monastic life.
Their flight was the flight of the doomed. The world did not leave them there, in these deserted mountains, it persecuted and destroyed the unhumbled lovers of God everywhere. Most of them, like suicide bombers, were doomed to death or torment in prisons and camps for their faith, for Christ, but many also died at the hands of a savage man - “a man of the new communist formation,” as in those years the USSR called someone devoid of faith and moral principles of "Homo sovieticus". The only question was time and methods of extermination. And, as always, there was no shortage of performers. The Prince of Darkness has found and finds them everywhere, in any place and at any time...
In the vastness of Adygea, numerous natural assets open up to a curious eye - here fast rivers make their way through deep gorges, and forests filled with wild life rise high up the mountain slopes. Here, the crystal sound of falling water leads travelers to beautiful waterfalls, and mysterious crevices reveal the magnificent underground world of caves.
It’s especially nice that all this beauty is located very close by, you don’t need to go to distant countries and conquer other continents - you just need to arrange an inexpensive vacation in the Krasnodar Territory.
The wonderful protected plateau Lago-Naki on the territory of the Republic of Adygea irresistibly attracts travelers. In these places, near the Belaya River base, you can see alpine meadows, amazing vegetation and unafraid animals, and also immerse yourself in the atmosphere of pristine nature. Local residents have glorified the beauty of the area in legends for centuries, and many interesting stories about bygone times have survived to this day. And whether to believe them or not - everyone decides exclusively for themselves.
The Legend of Monk Mountain
Not far from the village where the Dakhovskaya guest houses are located, Mount Monk rises, which got its name for a reason. Many years ago, a hermit monk lived in these places; he devoted all his days to prayers to God and led a righteous lifestyle. One day he was thinking about love and how much had been revealed to him thanks to his faith in the Lord, and then the wind blew and it began to rain heavily. The monk felt that a test from the Almighty awaited him...
The monk hid from the weather in a shelter near his favorite mountain, and sat there in oblivion, until his thoughts were suddenly disturbed by a melodic female cry. The monk opened his eyes and saw next to him a beautiful girl, cold and wet. Her wonderful, innocent eyes and sweet face awakened hitherto unknown feelings in the monk. Previously, he treated all women as his own sisters, but he felt a completely different attitude towards this amazing creature. They spent just a few hours together, without touching, but enjoying each other's company.
Weeks and months passed, but the monk could not forget the girl; he frantically prayed to God to tear the unsolicited love out of his heart, because he could not break this vow. One fine morning the girl came to the monk - it turns out that she couldn’t forget him either! The lovers' happiness knew no bounds; they had long conversations and caressed each other, but did not violate the ban - both remained chaste.
Other monks found out about their comrade’s sinful passion and decided to severely punish him. Since the stumbled monk refused to tell the girl’s name, he was chained to a rock so that his beloved could see his torment every day. The monk hung on the mountain for a long time, but his heart was free - he did not violate the main prohibition, his love had a pure, divine origin. But the girl did not marry, remaining faithful to her monk. And one day he simply disappeared along with the chains, leaving the imprint of his face on the hard stone - and ordinary residents realized how much they had made a mistake in punishing the monk. And everything around the mountain began to grow with redoubled force, as if it had also experienced the all-consuming power of love.
Mount Monk is located on the northern edge of the village of Khamyshki. There is a legend that the mountain got its name from a monk who lived many years ago on the top of the mountain, in a small cave, like a cell. This monk, trying to atone for his sins, wanted to knock out the figure of a saint in the rock, but he only made one head. Looking closely at the mountain, you can see the frowning, high-cheeked face of the old man, his slanted eyes look at you from under his brows, his flattened nose protrudes strongly forward, his lips are tightly compressed. The hair is tousled above the forehead, and there is a bald spot on the top of the head. There is another legend that says that in former times monks settled in the caves of the mountain. They lived peacefully in the mountains, collecting food for themselves in the mountains and forests. And below, under the mountain, in adobe huts lived people, worldly people. They herded cattle, went hunting, and cultivated arable land. Everything would be fine, but the monk fell in love with a beautiful girl from an Adyghe village. The monk broke his vow, but the harsh laws of the mountains were always observed by the inhabitants of the village; the honor of the family was above all for them. Angry at the monk for his unworthy act, people chained the unfortunate man to a mountain and forced him to carve his face in stone, so that from now on it would remind people of the unacceptability of actions that defame a woman. Since then, the stony face of the unfortunate monk has been forever turned to people as a guardian of the laws of honor, purity and trust in human relations.
But these are just legends, the face depicted on the mountain is not the work of human hands, but the result of long exposure to wind and water on the sandstone. The top of the rock is flat, and Mount Monk itself is one of the spurs of the Azish-Tau ridge. On the eastern side of the upper tier of the Monk rock is the Jolas cave, named after the doctor who hid in it during the Great Patriotic War. The path to Monk begins at the bridge over the Bzdykha River; the trodden and marked path rapidly gains altitude and in bad weather, climbing along it will require simple preparation and self-insurance. At the end of the third quarter of the journey, the path leads to a grotto where, according to legend, a monk once lived. A spring flows near the grotto, disappearing after a few meters. A section of the supposed old windbreak wall has been preserved in the grotto. Continuing the ascent, the path leads to the upper edge of the rocks, where the monk’s grotto was founded. Here, near the grotto, there is a good observation deck with views of Khamyshki, Acheshbok, Bolshoi Tkhach and Juba and other mountains of Adygea. On the top platform of the mountain there are 21 dolmen mounds. You can go down by simply turning back or walking a little further along the edge of the rocks and finding a way down, then using the grottoes located under the rock to go to the spring, thus completing the route. From time to time, stone monoliths fall down from Mount Monk (Adygea), breaking trees, stones roll out onto the road or fly further into the Belaya River.
In the very north of the village, Mount Monk took its place, proudly revealing its face. It is connected with Mount Monk
one of the most interesting legends of Adygea, which has been passed down from mouth to mouth for centuries among local residents.
Mount Monk - history of the name
It is no coincidence that Mount Monk received such an unusual name. One of the ancient legends says that several centuries ago this Monk Mountain was chosen by one of the hermit monks for his place of residence. He lived in a small cell-like cave located at the very top of this natural monument.In an effort to atone for all his sins committed during his life, the man decided to knock out the figure of a saint, choosing for this an exposed area of rocks. Whether he did not manage to finish his work before the end of his life or for some other reason, there is only an image of one head on the mountain.
If you look closely, you can clearly trace the stern features of the old man’s face: his eyebrows are furrowed, his nose is slightly forward, his lips are tightly compressed, and his hair is slightly tousled.
However, many do not trust such a vague reason for the name of Mount Monk: there is another legend that this place served as a refuge for monks who settled in the caves.
The most romantic and interesting can be considered the legend about a monk in love with a simple girl. The monk broke his vow, and then the villagers chose a punishment for him: the chained man had to carve his face on a rock, so that in the future it would remind others of the inadmissibility of touching a woman outside of marriage.
Mount Monk - back to modern times
Forgetting a little about history and returning to the present, it should be said that Mount Monk is a spur of the Azish-Tau ridge. Under the influence of thousands of years of wind and water, dozens of caves were formed in Mount Monk, one of which bears the name of the doctor Jolas, who took refuge in it during the battles of the Great Patriotic War.Moving along a long-paved path, you can go to the so-called Monk’s Grotto, where one of the hermits lived many years ago. Mount Monk is interesting for tourists to visit due to the presence of mound dolmens, springs, small waterfalls and several observation platforms on it, which offer views of several mountain peaks of the Republic of Adygea.
