Christmas 2013 marks the 200th anniversary of the signing of the decree on the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Since the 19th century, the temple has been the main monument to the heroes of the war of 1812; today it is the Cathedral of Moscow. He is familiar to many from television broadcasts of Christmas and Easter services led by the Patriarch. On other days, it is an ordinary parish church, in which divine services are performed daily, there is a community of parishioners, a Sunday school, and a youth club. On the patronal feast - material about the people who are responsible for the main Moscow cathedral.
Rector and Priest
A little more than 200 people work and serve in the church - clergy and laity.
The rector of the Moscow Cathedral is Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church presides over festive divine services and always serves on Easter and Christmas.
But, of course, due to being busy, the church cannot fully organize the liturgical and parish life. Relatively speaking, having come to the Temple, it will not be possible to get to His Holiness the Patriarch for confession, but there is an opportunity to pray with him during the service and hear heartfelt and inspiring sermons live.
The patriarch selects clerics who will serve in cathedral.
Responsibility for everyday life temple, care for providing everything necessary, the formation of a staff of lay employees almost completely fall on the shoulders of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior - Archpriest Mikhail Ryazantsev.
Usually the sacristy is the priest who is responsible for the sacristy, church vessels and valuables that are stored in the temple. If the rector of the temple is the ruling bishop or, as in the case of the Moscow Cathedral, His Holiness the Patriarch, the senior priest of the temple is called the sacristan. And he is responsible not only for the keys to the sacristy, but for everything else, - explains Archpriest Michael.
Of course, this does not mean that he himself does absolutely everything: there are assistants.
How many chalices are in the Temple?
Deacons and altar servers are personally responsible for preparing the “material” part of the service: each of them is responsible for the “site” assigned to him. For example, in charge Protodeacon Andrei Marushchak - festive icons and liturgical vessels, Protodeacon Nikolai Filatov responsible for preparing vestments and so on.
For the patriarchal services, the temple usually starts to be prepared in two hours, the preparation of the vestments takes a little longer.
Basically, the temple provides vestments for the priests: the subdeacons of the bishops, and even more so of His Holiness the Patriarch, bring everything they need with them. On Easter or Christmas, there is not as much trouble with vestments as it might seem: mostly Moscow priests serve in the Temple, who bring vestments with them. Important point- pick up paired vestments for senior priests. On average, priests have to prepare from 6 to 20 sets of vestments.
The most representative services, for which dozens of sets of vestments have to be prepared, are the services that mark the beginning of the Local and Bishops' Councils, when the priests accompanying the bishops must be dressed. The most representative and time-consuming part of the preparation of the service, according to the recollections of the protodeacons of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, is the first liturgy on May 17, 2007 after the restoration of the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
The most important material component of worship services is liturgical vessels. According to Protodeacon Andrei, there are 25 chalices in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. All of them were bought at the expense of the temple (by the way, like most of the temple utensils, the purchase of which takes quite a large percentage donations). The exception is a set of precious liturgical vessels of modern production, which His Holiness Patriarch Kirill presented to the Temple.
In terms of functionality, we usually use them when His Holiness the Patriarch serves the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, explains Protodeacon Andrei.
The choice of other sets depends on the number of communicants. Usually, 4 Chalices are enough for the Sunday Liturgy; on the days of Great Lent, the number of communicants approximately doubles. At Easter and Christmas about 15 Cups are needed.
Personnel issue
Today, five priests and three deacons serve in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, another deacon, Nazarius, came to Moscow to study and comes to help. All clerics serve in the cathedral with the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch.
I turned to His Holiness the Patriarch with a request to appoint four clerics to the Temple - Protodeacons Nikolai, Andrei and Alexander (Ageikin, who is today) and Priest John Nefedov. These clerics have beautiful voices and choir skills and adorn altar singing during worship. The rest were appointed by the Patriarch himself,” says Archpriest Mikhail Ryazantsev.
Along with full-time clergy, clergymen serve here - trainees: according to tradition, in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, newly ordained priests and deacons pass 40 hours.
One of the oldest clerics of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
He was appointed to the temple by the decree of His Holiness the Patriarch and, as he recalls, he could not even think that he would serve in the cathedral. And then it turned out that in 1996 he was one of two dozen priests who co-served with Patriarch Alexy II during the consecration of the lower, Transfiguration Church and soon became a cleric of the cathedral.
Everything here was unusual. I remember when I first went to cense a temple, I simply did not calculate how fast I should go: the temples in which I had served before were much, much smaller, - the priest recalls.
Today, his ministry is the performance of divine services and obedience, one of the main ones is the arrangement of the future Museum of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Back in 2002, when Patriarch Alexy II donated icons from his personal collection to the Temple, Father Georgy was personally involved in the attribution of all the monuments - several dozen exhibits. Now he is responsible for the future Museum of the Cathedral, a whole structure in which it is necessary to select the appropriate staff.
Father George does not lead a Sunday school (although there is one in the cathedral), he does not arrange meetings or conversations with parishioners, only, like other clerics of the cathedral, according to the schedule, he is on duty in the church for half a day, answering questions from visitors. According to the priest, the vast majority of those who come to talk ask where to put a candle.
Life in the Temple is very eventful, confesses Father George. - The most important thing for me is the salvation of the souls of those who come to confession or to a conversation. Everything else is not so important.
Lay employees are hired personally by the dean of the cathedral, Archpriest Mikhail Ryazantsev. Usually, those who want to get a job in the cathedral pass a short interview with him, then a probationary period (a month) is given, after which it becomes clear whether the person copes with his duties, whether he puts enough effort, diligence and diligence into his work, well Does he get along with the team?
In general, we have an already established team of employees, - says father Mikhail. - Those who come, I usually ask if they have a confessor, what parish they go to, whether they go to confession and receive communion. Of course, after one conversation it is difficult to recognize a person, which is why a trial period is given. I had to part with someone based on its results, but this is a natural process.
“Which saint is better to light a candle?”
Candlemaker Tatyana, an employee of the temple who keeps an eye on the candles on the candlesticks, came to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior after resigning from her prestigious job as an administrator.
I had a TV program and then I got sick and I had to leave it. Maybe for the better: there is too much vanity, pride and fuss on TV, you admire yourself, but you don’t have to think about the main time, Tatyana recalls.
A year ago, finding herself without a job, she began to pray to the Monk Savva Storozhevsky and realized that she wanted to get a job as a candle-maker in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. She came to the cathedral, worked for the glory of God for a month and stayed that way.
Of course, it is difficult to work: you get tired of being on your feet all the time and communicate with people. It happens that you want to pray at the service - but all the time you are distracted by candlesticks. But the Lord covers fatigue, you go home - and inside there is such joy, such an uplift! I think that in any secular work there would be no such state, - Tatyana reflects.
She says that the most frequently asked question, which visitors to the cathedral ask her, - “Which saint is better to put a candle?”.
Usually I answer: “What do you think, which one is worse?” And I smile. People respond well to humor, open up, and some kind of dialogue becomes possible, - says Tatyana.
The senior candle-maker of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Xenia, has been working in the cathedral for 12 years.
Her working day, like that of other candle makers, lasts 12 hours, but you can never tell by her appearance that she is tired: she has an affectionate smile on her face, her voice is pleasant and soft. She wipes the icons and along the way answers the numerous questions of visitors.
Now, thank God, we have catechists - our parishioners who are in the church to answer questions, so it has become easier. And so, for any reason, they turned to us, ”says Ksenia. - For example, I really like talking about icons. And so, of course, the work of a candle maker is to look after the candlesticks, collect the cinders, and make sure that the temple is in order and clean.
It seems that such a large cathedral needs a lot of people, but there are only 11 candlesticks in the state. Volunteers also come and work for the glory of God. There are usually five people in a shift: three watch the upper temple, two - the lower one. They come an hour before the service, leave about an hour after the temple is closed to visitors. Considering that the schedule - three by three - one can hardly imagine how they manage to relax and maintain a friendly and friendly look and manner of communication.
Of course, it's hard to work: almost 12 hours on your feet! - Ksenia admits. - But you know, it's such a joy! Sometimes it becomes difficult - and you run to venerate the shrine: “Lord, help me!” Pray with faith - God always helps. We must believe.
She says that it is possible to work as a candle-maker only by calling: if a person goes because of money, he is unlikely to survive.
She herself never thought that she would work in the Church, and when she retired, she realized that she would like to work in the temple and make candlesticks. At first she worked in a church not far from home, and then she ended up in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and wanted to move here.
I attended the service here for the first time on August 19, 2000, on the day of the Great Consecration of the temple. I didn’t expect it myself - but a familiar father gave me a ticket, - the candle-maker recalls.
Came to get a job - refused. For 10 months she went to the cathedral for all services - morning and evening - she prayed, and, finally, they took her.
A lot of people come to church who don't understand what Orthodoxy is: they don't want to read books, they don't have time to go to church. They put a candle - and they don't care how it stands, crooked, askew. I remember when I came to the church for the first time, they advised me the book “First Steps in an Orthodox Church”, and most of all I remember these words from there: “Candles should stand strictly straight and burn to God,” says Ksenia.
Cathedral Choir
If the candlesticks are most often turned to during non-liturgical hours, during the service, almost the main impression of the temple is made by the choral singing.
In the cathedral, singing is treated very carefully. Two choirs sing in the kliros - the Patriarchal and the youth.
The Patriarchal Choir of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior is relatively small: 35 full-time choristers and several volunteers who sing regularly. On Easter 2013 the choir will celebrate its 15th anniversary. During the entire existence of the temple, the choir changed its leader 4 times, today it is a well-established team, led by the regent, the son of a priest and a professional doctor.
Ilya came to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior to sing a few weeks before Christmas 2007, and on Christmas he was already leading the choir.
The first Christmas in the cathedral was incredibly stressful. Honestly, I thought that we "failed" the service, and when I went downstairs, it turned out that we sang it right and everyone really liked it. But there was a lot of work to be done: it was necessary to improve skills, learn new chants, assemble a close-knit team, - the regent recalls.
Singers Ilya Tolkachev selected and continues to select himself. The criteria are simple: professionalism, knowledge of everyday life, the Orthodox faith. True, it did not always work out that everyone who wanted to sing in the cathedral confessed Christ. He talks about a graduate of the Conservatory, a native of Muslim family, who for some time went to sing as a volunteer, and then, when he was offered to register officially, he said that he was not baptized. “Are you going to be baptized? the regent asked him. - Yes!". Thus, there was one more person in the Church. And this is by no means the only case when a person joined the faith through singing.
Ilya Borisovich admits that the service of the regent is “unbearably hard work, a very heavy burden of responsibility and strong emotional stress,” especially if the service is led by His Holiness the Patriarch and there is a live broadcast.
Of course, a holiday is a holiday anyway, but it is very difficult to sing and know that a service is being broadcast live, - the choir director shares his impressions. - The temple becomes like a filming site: wires are stretched everywhere, white spotlights are on, technical workers and cameramen are walking around ... Although, of course, this is unusual and interesting. Maybe I would like to serve somehow more intimately, but there is an element of enlightenment in the broadcast: I have repeatedly met people who came to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior after watching the broadcast of the service and they became curious to see how everything happens live. By the way, some became parishioners of our church.
You might think that special status temple means a higher salary than in other parishes, but this is not so: the payment for one service for a chorister is the average in Moscow. So people here sing not at all because of money.
Archpriest Mikhail Ryazantsev, the sacristan of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, expresses his wishes regarding the choir's repertoire, but the main regent selects 99% of the work. It is based on the classics, but the works of contemporary composers are also actively used, on the choice of which the regent consults with colleagues from the Moscow Union of Composers.
Despite all the difficulties, singing on the kliros is a colossal joy! - Ilya Tolkachev admits.
The second choir - youth - exists in the cathedral from the moment of its foundation under the leadership of the unchanging regent Svetlana Nikolaevna Sokolovskaya. And if the Patriarchal choir is the main choir, the youth choir is in many ways the main one, keeping the traditions of the cathedral.
At one time, Svetlana Nikolaevna sang in the Church of the Intercession Holy Mother of God on Lyshchikova Hill, where the father of the current dean of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Archpriest John Ryazantsev, served. When Father John left the staff, the new rector brought his choir to the Church of the Intercession, and Svetlana's team was left without work. About six months later, Father John called Svetlana: “You know, my son was assigned to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior under construction and he needs a choir. You should go and meet him."
We came to the construction site, walked along the footbridge to the wooden chapel... It seemed that the Temple would not be built soon, but there was nowhere to work, and I stayed, - recalls Svetlana Sokolovskaya.
Today, the choir sings at almost all services: in the upper and lower churches, in the summer - in the church-chapel in the name of the icon of the Mother of God "Reigning". In fact, the daily liturgical life of the temple is largely accompanied by this very group, in which a little more than a dozen people sing. It happens that people turn to the regent with a request to sing in the choir for free, but she takes such very rarely. As Svetlana explains, the choir faces very responsible tasks, and you simply cannot hire any person, and professionals, as a rule, prefer to receive a salary.
To get a job in a choir, you need to have a musical education or experience in singing in a temple. Svetlana does not directly ask about religion, believing that if a person has already come to sing in the temple, then this is not just like that.
A lot depends on the regent. When the singers see a sincere believer, they themselves begin to relate to faith differently, - Svetlana is sure.
The work of the regent for her is work, but at the same time it is a real joy.
Sometimes you regent, the choir sings well, and it's such happiness! It seems to me that this is the best that can be, - Svetlana admits.
Today there is a new initiative in the cathedral: one of the singers of Svetlana Sokolovskaya gathered a folk choir: everyone who wants to sing and learn to sing could sign up and come to the audition. By the end of the year, about a hundred people had auditioned and are now looking forward to the start of classes.
Five and older
The Sunday School of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior is closely connected with the youth choir. One of the singers Galina Ravilievna Alonzova- leads classes with three children's groups on Sunday and also works with a preparatory group on Saturday. She came to the cathedral to sing in the choir, and two years later, in 2006, she was offered to lead Sunday school classes. Since then, she continues to sing and leads children's classes: on Sunday - in Sunday School, on Saturday - in the preparatory group. The goal of music lessons at school is to learn all the chants of the liturgy. In the meantime, the children are learning what they can and are happy to sing antiphons with the youth choir.
On Saturday, either the youngest children come to class - from 5 years old, or those whose families are not at all churched, so that they have not yet mastered some minimum necessary for studying in the Sunday School.
Why parents from unchurched families bring their children to Sunday School, one can only guess.
At best, they are driven by a conscious desire to become churched. At worst, the desire to satisfy one's ambitions, for example, in order to later tell friends that their child played a role in a Sunday school play at the cathedral or stood at the Christmas or Easter service next to the president. But natural selection takes place and, as a rule, such children are eliminated, because the goal of the Sunday school is completely different, - says Galina Alonzova.
She has been teaching at the school for 7 years. Dealing with children is not easy.
After three classes on Sunday, you come out like a squeezed lemon. But such a feeling of satisfaction! - Galina Ravilievna admits.
She was born and raised in a non-church family. She graduated from a music school, studied vocals, and then received a diploma from the Faculty of History of Perm University. From the age of 17 she worked with children - a musical worker in a kindergarten, then she led a vocal studio in the Palace of Pioneers.
When she moved to Moscow, difficult life situations prompted her to turn to the faith, and at the age of 33 she was baptized in the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Bogorodskoye. Then she began to sing and regent at the Church of the Holy Martyr Tatiana at Moscow University (and still remembers the Tatiana choir and the clergy who served there with warmth and love).
About the work in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, he says that, of course, it is impossible not to think about the status of the cathedral.
It would be cunning to say that I am indifferent to the fact that I work in a cathedral. Of course it's an honor! And, for example, when I came to my homeland, relatives said: “This is main temple country!". The main thing is that there is no pride. And you always feel a great responsibility for what you do. This responsibility is felt from the very first performance that we prepared here with the children.
The assistant dean of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior is in charge of the Sunday School. educational work Tatyana Vyacheslavovna Yudina. She also never thought that she would work in the temple. About 10 years ago, she decided to show her six-year-old daughter the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, for the construction of which her relatives donated funds, the girl saw an advertisement for recruitment into a children's choir and certainly wanted to sing. It seemed unrealistic, but Tatyana Vyacheslavovna took her daughter to an audition, and they took her. While the children were making music, the regent Svetlana Koltsova held something like catechetical conversations with their parents. Tatyana began to come with her daughter to church services, take her to classes and holidays at the Sunday School, and then Father Mikhail invited the young woman to become the head of the school.
Now the Sunday School has a little over a dozen teachers and over 100 children. For convenience, they were divided into 4 groups by age. The younger ones study the Law of God and music, the middle ones - the Gospel history and the history of the Russian Orthodox Church, the older ones - History Orthodox dogma and the basics of church-liturgical literacy. There is also a youth group. Initially, it was not planned, but when the first students received diplomas after 6 years of schooling, it turned out that they did not want to live without classes at the temple, so a special group had to be created for them.
In addition to the main program, the guys go to classes at the Tretyakov Gallery once every two months, and they also enjoy attending safety lessons, which are conducted for them by employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. They also make a newspaper.
There are not so many premises at the school - a classroom on the lower floor of the cathedral, a utility room, which also houses the department for social service, and those premises that can be found for classes. Nevertheless, communication with teachers is somehow very light and joyful, so I want to do something with them, to participate in the life of the school.
Traditions, which Tatyana Vyacheslavovna warmly talks about - Easter and Christmas holidays, which are prepared by students. Every year, the Sunday School prepares a children's Christmas performance, which takes place once a year.
Initially, when there were not so many guests who were invited to the Christmas tree, the holiday was held in one of the refectory halls of the temple. To the best of their ability, the children themselves made decorations and costumes, made gifts for numerous guests. Every year there were more and more guests, so they stopped being placed in the refectory chambers. The abundance of guests is not a whim: many children from orphanages, large and low-income families, teachers and students come to the Christmas tree Sunday school Temples are well aware that they all really need a holiday. Therefore, with the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch, the annual cathedral tree has moved to the Hall of Church Councils. This year the performance will take place in the Cathedral Hall on January 13.
By the whole world
Charity is an important and integral part of the Christian life. It is not customary to talk a lot about her, but not to say it at all would be cunning.
The dean of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior began to organize charitable assistance of various kinds almost from the very beginning of the life of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Since 2004, this area of the temple's life has been mainly dealt with by its assistant for social service.
The phone in her room is constantly ringing. She manages to simply, calmly and kindly answer all calls, accept boxes of medicine, invite children from orphanage to the Christmas tree in the temple, inquire about health young man, who not so long ago sent help ...
There are several areas of social activity, - says Tatyana Sergeevna. - We help children's clinics, mainly oncology, the Scientific and Practical Center for Helping Children, the Children's Clinical Hospital, the Federal Scientific and Practical Center, the Central Hospital named after. Burdenko, the third branch of the Burdenko hospital, orphanages and shelters, including those where children with developmental delays live.
Help is different: from the purchase of the necessary equipment (for example, specialized beds for bedridden patients, a laser surgical knife, children's incubators) and household appliances to organizing holidays and congratulations on Christmas and Easter.
A special direction is work with the families of servicemen, veterans of the Navy, women who have lost their sons and husbands and are raising children alone.
They need to feel that someone needs them, we always invite them to our church, they come with pleasure and feel that they were not left alone in their trouble, - says Tatyana Sergeevna.
As a rule, all assistance is provided by donations, which are transferred to the temple. Most of them are anonymous, so the temple distributes them as it sees fit. It happens that they call and say: "We want to help the children's hospital." Then Tatyana Sergeevna begins to explain what exactly can be done, and the person chooses something specific.
Not everyone has the opportunity to transfer substantial funds to the account of the temple, but help can be very different. For example, students senior group Temple Sunday Schools were helped with gift wrapping and trips to the Palliative Care Center. Visiting the sick and giving them the joy of communication is also very, very important.
"Cathedrals"
Unfortunately, many initiatives of the temple, the same social service, remains, as it were, "behind the scenes." Moreover, many people are sure that it is impossible to come here to serve just like that: you need tickets, invitations, and so on. To introduce young people to the life of the cathedral, to give them a space for communication, through which they could learn about the life of the temple, the Church and Orthodox faith, dean of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Archpriest Mikhail Ryazantsev, in fulfillment of the blessing of Patriarch Kirill, inspired young employees to create an Orthodox youth club.
As the altar boy of the cathedral Dmitry Statsyuk said, a survey was conducted in the temple - who would like to take part in the life of the club, how they could help and what activities they would like to do. In the spring of 2011, the first holiday was organized - Shrovetide, to which the clergy of the temple were invited. And then they began to try: they did holidays, Great Lent - Gospel classes, at the usual time - evenings at which they sorted out obscure moments of worship, shared stories about church history, went on trips, and not so long ago spent in the temple. We decided to meet on Saturdays after All-night vigil: firstly, communication was obtained after prayer, and prayer is the main thing, and secondly, this time turned out to be quite convenient for many.
As Dmitry Statsyuk explains, the main goal is to bring children to the church, through communication to give them the opportunity to feel what church life is, the joy of prayer, why it is so important to go to church and pray at divine services. Members of the youth club also participate in sports competitions that are organized between parishes. As it turned out, joint training and performances are very uniting.
I remember once friends of one of the young parishioners went to competitions with us. As expected, before the meeting, they came to pray at the temple and then happily talked about the fact that thanks to sports, for the first time in several years, they came to the service, ”recalls Dmitry.
Today, anyone can come to the meeting of the young parishioners of the temple, but first you need to call or write to one of those who are involved in the youth club (their contacts can be found on the temple website).
Ringing bells
The ringing of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior is familiar to many from live broadcasts of divine services. There are five bell towers in the cathedral: the gate tower above the entrance to the Church of the Transfiguration and four on the top of the Temple. Some of the heaviest bells of the Russian Orthodox Church are placed on the upper bell towers (the largest, the Tsar's, weighs over 30 tons). In order for the bells to sound beautiful and magnificent, a whole team of bell ringers is needed who could work smoothly and understand the bells.
Usually, to the question of how many bell ringers are in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior today, I answer unequivocally: how many will come, so many will be, - the main bell ringer of the cathedral smiles.
The temple has 10 full-time bell ringers and several volunteer assistants who help during the holiday bells. Becoming a bell ringer is simple and difficult at the same time. It used to be that people simply came and asked to be given the opportunity to try to help at the bell tower, and then more experienced bell ringers taught them the skill and looked at how much the newcomer was a church person, whether he had an idea of obedience.
In the film, naval commander Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov said this: "I have officers of special training." Here we are. For example, I don’t have to wave my hands, shout loudly or explain something for a long time if some unplanned moment arises: from one gesture it’s immediately clear what needs to be done. The main thing, as I have already noted, is obedience: a person must clearly do what he is told. We cannot have the phrase “but I thought it would be better,” says Igor Konovalov.
Some of those who call the Temple today remember it from the time of its construction. Bell ringer Konstantin Mishurovsky he recalls how, standing on the ringing tier of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in the Kremlin, he saw how steam rose from the water in the Moskva pool on the site of the future Temple.
Bell ringer Igor Gennadievich Tulisov came to the pool to read an akathist in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Reigning". After Patriarch Alexy II consecrated the wooden church in the name of the Sovereign Icon of the Mother of God, they began to read the akathist and serve in the church, and Igor Gennadievich began to ring the bells there. And then, when the bells of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior were cast and consecrated, he began to participate in ringing on the cathedral bell towers.
Before the bells were raised up, a competition was organized for the best set of bells for the cathedral. Konstantin Mishurovsky recalls how he rang the bells at the competition, letting the jury hear their sound. A memorable memory for him is that the legendary ringer Vladimir Ivanovich Mashkov rang the bells presented for the competition.
The bell ringers remember the first peals on the cathedral bell towers with great love.
The cathedral was still surrounded by forests, there were no elevators. The construction hoist on the mast was located right inside the temple at the southwestern pylon. We put on helmets, entered it and went upstairs. We walked along a very shaky gallery to one of the sails, in which there was an opening, bending over, crawled with difficulty there, climbed the technical floors to the scaffolding and rang from the outside of the bell tower, from the scaffolding. Then the staff of bell ringers was not formed. We called with the feeling that we were serving the birth of the temple and with joy that we were allowed to participate and touch the revival of the shrine. It was an absolutely extraordinary feeling of uplift, inspiration and euphoria. It was true human happiness! - says Konstantin Mishurovsky.
Then the scaffolding was removed, more comfortable scaffolds were arranged on the bell towers, the charter of cathedral bells was prescribed, and the bells became the way they can be seen and heard now.
Today, the "visiting card" of the cathedral bell ringers is the synchronous ringing of all bell towers. Initially, when the bells were just placed on the temple, no one thought that this was possible, and then it turned out to synchronize the two heaviest bells. It was no longer so difficult to adjust lighter bells for them, and the bell towers of the cathedral began to ring in a single rhythm.
Ringers constantly lead research work, study the archives, record the ringing on a tape recorder in order to have an idea of how the temple sounds and what the people below hear. Today there is a certain repertoire of calls, which is constantly expanding and supplementing. On big holidays, ringers try to please parishioners and clergy with new compositions; a wide variety of bells sound in the cathedral during Bright Week.
Ringing in a cathedral is a big responsibility.
Unplanned situations usually arise when we need to ring the His Holiness the Patriarch, significant shrines (for example, the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos) or provide ringing at times that were in the past year. We stand, wait and look upstairs, and one of the ringers is downstairs next to Father Mikhail. Understanding what is happening, he calls on his mobile or gives a sign with his hand when it is necessary to start and end the ringing, and we call on his hand, - says Igor Vasilyevich. - But we must understand that there are situations that are not provided for by the charter, in these cases we always go to the keymaster of the Temple and do as he blesses.
The shortest liturgy?
In connection with the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the question often arises that the services here are too short: on Saturday, the Vespers begin at 5 pm and end at about 7 pm. Archpriest Mikhail Ryazantsev emphasizes: nothing is ever shortened in the service and everything that is supposed to be done is done, just the choir sings fast enough.
Maybe someone thinks that the slower the choir sings, the more reverent and pious it comes out, but I do not agree with this. We try to comply with the traditions of the Cathedral of the Epiphany, and Patriarch Pimen, for whom I was a subdeacon, did not like it when the service dragged on. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill is also not a supporter of artificially slow services. He says that the rhythm of life has now changed, and this must also be taken into account. The service should take place in one breath, without pauses, delays, so that the person is not distracted. And we must understand that most of our parishioners live far from the temple and they still have a trip home, - explains Archpriest Mikhail Ryazantsev.
On the eve of the patronal Feast - the Nativity of Christ - there are many worries in the Temple.
Of course, this is the most stressful period of time for the keymaster of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, only Easter can be compared with it, - says father Mikhail. - The patronal feast, when the service is headed by the Patriarch and many guests come, is associated with a great strain of physical and moral strength, because I want all the guests to have a joyful, pleasant and reverent impression of the Feast, so that even those who go to the temple, maybe comes once or twice a year, felt the joy and state of the holiday. This requires serious preparation, starting from the decoration of the temple and ending with the splendor that should be present at the service.
For the clergy of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the feast comes the next day.
On January 8, on the Feast of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos, we gather and celebrate the service with all the clergy. On this day, the main tension associated with the preparation of Christmas Day subsides, and we begin to feel a truly festive atmosphere, - says the priest.
But even amid the pre-holiday fuss, when asked what the holiday of January 7 is connected with for him, Archpriest Mikhail Ryazantsev answers unequivocally:
Naturally, with the advent of the Savior into the world! What else could it be related to?
The author sincerely thanks the dean of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior for the opportunity to prepare this material! Many thanks to the senior bell ringer of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior Igor Vasilievich Konovalov and Peter Nikolaev for the photos! Thanks to everyone who took part in the preparation and helped to make the material. Happy Christmas Day!
The first person we meet upon crossing the threshold of the temple is the candle maker, who is also the worker of the candle box. Formally, he sells church goods, accepts memorial notes and keeps a record of the requirements: weddings, funerals, baptisms, and others. But in fact, this is a psychologist, and a guide, and a catechist. It is from him, and not from the priest, that many people begin their acquaintance with church life. This person will confidently answer most questions of interest regarding faith, temple or service.
We talked to the candle makers of Moscow parishes and found out how they got into the profession, what its essence is, and what they do in their free time from work in the temple.
Roman, 48 years old
Candlestick of the Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov on Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment
I became a candle maker very simply: I was offered, but I did not refuse. At that time, I completed my military service, received three higher education in the field of economics and successfully worked as a manager of a car dealership of foreign cars. He also taught several author's courses at the Faculty of Economics of Moscow State University.
My parents baptized me in infancy, since then the temple has become a part of my life. Adults took me there, they raised me respectful attitude to the Church and faith. I began to come to services on my own already at a conscious age - at first I just went along the road, then it began to happen more and more often.
When I regularly went to the temple as an ordinary parishioner, I never thought of working there. One day, our candle maker urgently needed to leave his position, and the priests were looking for a replacement in his place. I didn't need money from them, and they didn't have a budget for this feature, so mutual language we found one quickly and I started working on my only day off. This is very similar to the movie character Forrest Gump, who worked as a gardener, having a decent fortune.
The position of a candle maker is not a job for me and certainly not a profession. It is rather a service, which consists in helping the people serving in the temple and those who came to it. In general, this can be compared with the activity of a sailor on the upper deck of a small ocean schooner: to help passengers, other sailors and the captain. And at other times to scrub the deck.
Only a little life experience is enough to work as a candle maker, humility and sense of humour. You also need to be able to sort notes, sweep the floor, do not be shy about taking out the trash.
There is an opinion among the people that only people who have failed in life, who have nothing else to do, work behind a candle box. Therefore, you need to be prepared for a condescending attitude and try to respond kindly.
Once an elderly Mexican couple came here - husband and wife. They were very interested in the history of the temple and asked many questions about faith. We said goodbye to them, and then they come about three hours later and give me a small laminated icon of the Virgin - in their homeland this is a revered Christian image. It turned out that this is the icon of the Mother of God "Addition of the Mind", only they have it in green tones, and we have it in red.
In my spare time I grow oaks, apple trees, walnut trees. It fascinated me so much that I had to leave Moscow for the countryside. You understand, the trees on the loggia do not grow as expected. I also respect amateur ballroom dancing, I paint coffee and tea cups. The latter takes a lot of time and effort, but my works are already being asked to be exhibited by museums and private galleries.
Maria, 27 years old
Candlestick of the house church of the Holy Martyr Tatiana at Moscow State University. M. V. Lomonosov
I will not say that in my life there was no faith before, and then once - and it appeared. I was baptized in infancy, after which my grandmother took me to church several times a year. I started going there on my own and consciously at the age of fifteen - at first it was sporadically, then more and more regularly, and after the entrance exams to the university I became a regular parishioner in our church.
So several years passed, then I suddenly found myself without a job. While I was thinking about where to go and what the prospects are, I was invited to work in a candle shop. We needed a person not from outside, but from the parish.
You don't just sit here and sell something there. This is not the job of a salesperson as such. . This is immediately the work of a psychologist, consultant and even a catechist. People come and ask all kinds of, sometimes very strange, wild or very banal questions. For example: “Do you have an icon for everything?”, “And for wealth?”, “How to order a prayer service so that I get approved for a loan?”.
And you are obliged to respond to the extent of your education, adequacy and knowledge of church life. When a question is very complex or a person just needs to be talked to, it is better to send it to a priest if you do not know a definite answer. And this is the area not so much of catechesis as of psychology. People come and talk all their lives, about their troubles, about how something didn’t work out for them, or about family problems.
You have to be patient with people and their weaknesses.. You can’t sit with the air that you know everything better than anyone here, and sheer ignoramuses come to you, you can’t treat them down. We must try to always be friendly and welcoming.
I will not say that the worker of the candle box must have super-deep theological knowledge, but he must know the basis of the dogma firmly. So that he himself does not give rise to even small superstitions in people. Because you have no right to speak any nonsense. Naturally, you need to know the Catechism very well in order to answer the simplest questions.
The most difficult thing is interaction with inadequate or simply sick people.. Sometimes you just don't know how to behave. You feel that a person can suddenly become aggressive. When such people come, it is quite a strong nervous tension.
I am inspired by the very opportunity to talk about Christianity. You helped a person to understand something, to part with a small delusion that poisoned his life. I am very pleased when they buy crosses for christening. It's always very nice.
It's great when you have something that a person has been looking for a long time and could not find in other places, but we have it. Most often, this is a rare icon of some saint or a nominal icon.
I think it's something between work and service. You see, to call it service with a capital letter is to elevate yourself unjustifiably. The service is with the priest, indeed, it is many times more difficult for him than for any other person working in the temple.
I can say with confidence that this is definitely not a profession. Of course, this is work, in the most ordinary direct sense of the word - you come at a certain time and fulfill obligations for the sale of goods and services, but also service, of course, too. If a person is consciously engaged in this all his life and this is his main occupation, then, probably, one can say so. But this is a rarity. Basically, people combine work in a church shop with other activities.
I do not set myself some great task of Orthodox enlightenment, because thousands of people are already working on it. But there are some trifles and conventions in which I consider it my duty to help understand and explain that God is not in candles and not in notes. It is necessary to slowly move away from this "magical" attitude to simple ritual moments.
A man in his forties periodically comes to us, he looks Japanese. Each time he gives money and a very neatly printed piece of paper in a file on which the magpie "for the dead" is written with photographs of several Japanese and their Orthodox names. Apparently, he was asked, and he regularly comes to do it.
The rest of the time I like to travel around the world and the country, I am seriously fond of cinema and read a lot. I regularly write about all this in my blog for myself and my friends who are interested in my texts.
Olga Valentinovna, 47 years old
Candlestick of the Church of Saints Cyril and Mary, Parents St. Sergius Radonezh in Northern Tushino
I came to faith already at a conscious age after graduating from school. It so happened that I met young guys who went to church - through them I gradually came to faith, was baptized. It was the time of the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the baptism of Russia, the people felt a spiritual upsurge.
Work in the temple began for me more than 20 years ago, when I was still studying in St. Petersburg at the Faculty of Architecture. Then the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Tushino was being restored, and I participated in the design of the house of the clergy and the bell tower. It so happened that this was my thesis.
Then I got married, took care of children for a long time and worked as a family teacher. kindergarten. When our church was opened six months ago, the rector invited me to work as a candle-maker. By that time, the children had already grown up, and without thinking twice, I agreed.
The work of a candlemaker is a service close to catechesis(instruction in the Christian faith). People come and ask many questions that relate directly to entering the Church. Here it is important to have wisdom, to properly talk with a person, to answer his questions. Of course, there are many parishioners I already know - they just need a benevolent attitude. Those who come for the first time or after a long break are very wary and even timid. And here it is necessary not to spread too much, and at the same time, briefly answer their questions.
In my opinion, the essence of the service of a candle maker is: “Do no harm”. The people who work in the candle shop are at the forefront. The first person a person meets when he crosses the threshold of the temple is a candlestick. This is a great responsibility.
For clarity, I will retell the sermon of Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom):
“Last night a woman with a child came to the service. She was wearing trousers and no headscarf. One of you remarked to her. She left. I don’t know who reprimanded her, but I order this person to pray for her and this child until the end of his days, so that the Lord saves them. Because because of you, she may never come to the temple again.” Here is a key example for the person behind the candle box.
Love is above all rules, and therefore, even if a person comes and does something wrong , we should not make a remark so that he leaves the temple. My task is to give love, warmth, attention, to show care; meet and either refer to the priest for advice, or recommend the necessary literature. At the same time, you need to understand that I do not have to teach anyone.
More than 10 years ago, a society of Orthodox large families, where I participate as one of the organizers. We develop family leisure, discuss problems, help each other. One of our main events is the joint reading of the Akathist to the Mother of God "Education".
At our parish, complaints began to come in against the candle-makers: they say, rudeness, rudeness, and all that. So I somehow approached the rector: “Father,” I say, “assign me, such a good and wonderful person, to be your candle-maker: I will fix everything for you in an instant.”
“Or you will correct yourself,” the priest supported. - Forward - to the embrasures! Just don't judge anyone!
— No, I will only teach them how to live.
- Oh well. Poor fellow, - this is already in a half-whisper, compassionately and in pursuit.
Fiasco first. Discipline
Anyway, the service is over. Prayer services and panikhidas passed, the temple was empty. “But now the hardest part will begin,” the modest girl Natasha repeated three times, helping me deal with candles, prosphora, notes, etc., looking at my stunned physiognomy. “What could be harder,” I thought with the remnants of my brain, “idle conversations at the liturgy and the inability to hear prayers?”
Fiasco second. People
They are known to be different. Most often - good and kind. Most of the time, in your own way. After the service, it was necessary to defend the temple from homeless children who sought to steal money from donation mugs or the mugs themselves. It was also necessary to try to drive away from the church foul-smelling, criminal-looking homeless people who relieved themselves on the walls of the church and used foul language.
“They collect alms here,” said the kind-hearted Natasha, “someone will take pity.
So they drink it!
- It happens!
Then an aunt came in in boots and earrings, who urgently needed to "exchange five pieces" (she said so - "pieces").
“Excuse me,” I say, “this is not a bank, and there is no such money.
— Is it in your Russian Orthodox Church?! Yes, you have no money! You should have everything here for free!
The situation was saved by Natasha; she laid out some papers: “Here are the bills for heating and electricity. Impressive, right? Pay them once a month - and you will definitely receive candles without any fee. Still impressed, you see, the leaves: the lady even apologized. “And I specifically asked to copy the bills,” the wise Natasha explained. “It helps a lot, by the way.”
Then a young man came. I stood at the icon for a long time. He clumsily baptized. Then he went to the box. “Give me a candle, please,” he said in a low voice. He took the candle, again approached the icon, set it down, and again stood for a long time. Approached: “I came from the Caucasus. I'm a sniper." And he began to talk - the warrior needed to speak out. I won’t convey the whole conversation, but the words stuck in my memory: “Do you know how you feel when you see through an optical sight how the “spirit” of your soldier cuts, and you can’t get him out of the rifle - too far ..?” He told a lot. Then he again went to the icons (“I know that the Mother of God saved me. And not just me - many”), then he asked for holy water to drink, then he sat on the bench - he waited for the priest. Fortunately, the priest came up in time - they went to confession. “More ‘Afghans’ are coming,” Natasha said quietly. - Police officers, sometimes special forces. Firefighters who rescued children from the fire. Our first-aid kit is always full - you never know what will happen to anyone "...
Fiasco third. Recipes for success and salvation
- Whom do you need to pray for your daughter to go to college? the woman asked, seriously concerned about her daughter's education, but, alas, not very versed in Christianity.
- How to whom? God! - I answer.
- Which one?
“There is only one God, actually,” I say (Natasha turned away and seems to be smiling).
“Young man, I’m specifically asking you: what god should you pray for your daughter to go to college ?!
To whom it is funny, to whom - at least cry ...
...“Which is better: a simple or custom-made liturgy? Is the truth more effective than a memorial service? And for what note do they give prosphora? - and so on and so forth. Such questions for all the days while I was a candlemaker, I heard enough. And in no way, well, could not learn to answer them. One of my colleagues, who replaced Natasha, managed to answer in such a way that people chose those donations that were the most.
- And what is it for? asked the naive candle-maker.
“Most of the people who come here don’t need reasoning — most need to “invest” quickly and correctly, you understand?
- Go have some tea.
Drinking tea was interrupted by a request to sell twelve identical candles. Well, please - twelve so twelve. I was about to go to the tray with candles, but my colleague suddenly tensed up: “And you, excuse me, why?” she asked the young woman.
“Grandma told me so.
— Excuse me, grandmother or grandmother?
- Well, grandma, so what? She told me to buy these candles, light them, and then bring them to her - she will remove the damage from me.
- Yes, what are you? It's dangerous. Same !
- Whom? Whom is the betrayal?
Yes, Christ.
And the candlestick talked to the young woman for about forty minutes. I did buy the candles though. But she said that she would put them in the temple. God bless!
I have a hundred candles. Fast! - Throwing a bill of an interesting and rare color on the counter, a sparkling uncle muttered through the corner of his upper thick lip. “Quickly, I said. I pay that money, you understand? Who sanctifies your house here? You all live here on my money, okay?
- No, it's not clear. Who are you?
- I?! Who?! - it was already impossible to stop the uncle.
If the temple were full, everyone would know who he is, this uncle, “he is like that”, “what can he really decide” and “what good can he do” and how many bells he “should be called from the next world” - so many of them he has already donated. On the other hand, the benefits are considerable: you better understand the bitter irony and pain of Pushkin, who wrote about how humbly and earthly Kirila Petrovich Troekurov bowed while standing at the service, when the deacon at the litany proclaimed "... and about the benefactors of this holy temple." Each time has its own Kirila Petrovich Troekurov ...
Fiasco fourth. Cellulite and bosses
Not only candles need to be sold behind the "box" and memorial notes - you also need to help choose a good book or something else you need. A terribly intelligent-looking couple came in, asked to pick up something from good children's literature. And I, to my shame, had not yet had time to really get to know her, so I blurted out: “Here, they say, children's poems are good. Take a look - maybe you'll like it? Opened the book and leafed through. We started reading. Turned the page - smile, I look, they stopped. Hands trembled, eyes watered. The lady sat down on a chair, the man approached me and tactfully took me aside. “Excuse me,” he says, “but how can you sell and offer something like this in a church?” - "What is it?" I ask innocently. He realized that I had made a mistake, and simply began to quote something from a children's Orthodox book. The more he read, the more I wanted to sink into the ground. There was something about a pious church mouse who lived somewhere in the basement, about prosphora fed by a pious watchman, about an impious cat and a pious detective Bobik with a wrinkled, intelligent forehead.
“Stop,” I say. — I'm sorry, I made a mistake. Didn't mean to offend you.
“It’s not about you,” he replies sadly. - I just can’t understand: what, there are no good books in Russia? Why does the Church allow Christian children to read this? Do we need Orthodox ignoramuses, tell me?
- Not sure. I can offer as compensation Leskov, Pushkin. Don't you want to?
- How I wish! Is there Winnie the Pooh? The real Zakhoderovsky?
- Sorry.
It was hard, oh, hard, after such questions (several times people were sincerely surprised at the lack of good children's and adult literature in Orthodox churches). Try it - prove now that we stand for good education. And by the way, what do we call good if we sell all sorts of godly-snotty masterpieces for kids?
But not only books are of interest to people - icons, rosaries and much more are needed. I don’t even want to talk about the quality of the icons of our “box”. Somehow several Serbs came in - they looked, wondered, turned in their hands: “Are there any real icons, not stamped? Any other production? “No, brothers. Sorry again." But the brothers began to laugh hysterically when they saw plaster, porcelain and plastic angels, angels and angels “made in China” standing separately on a shelf: “Look,” they shouted, “cellulite !!! Catholic cellulite!!!" I approached them to see this happiness from their point of view: hmmm. Pink angels look great in Orthodox churches, capable of throwing staunch Serbs into hysterics, and at the same time completely killing the sense of beauty in their Russian counterparts!
“While you will be indignant here and mourn for the loss of a sense of beauty, the temple will become impoverished,” they explained to me. - And there will be more problems with the authorities.
- Why?
- Yes, everything is simple: firstly, people buy what they like. They like your cellulite monsters with wings - please. Do they pay? - They pay. Secondly, none of us like books either, nor this miracle. But the community is forced to buy them: you can’t buy anything else in the diocesan administration! And the community has the right to buy candles, icons and other things only there, in the administration. Elsewhere, no. So all your claims about taste, the level of literature, and everything else, send to those who are engaged in the supply of such a, sorry for the expression, "grace." The community will not buy goods in the "uprava" - expect righteous anger and sanctions from the authorities. The salary, already low, will decrease, and the dearly beloved father of the rector will have more difficulties. Go, in short, to the diocesan administration, but don't touch us. Although we understand you and silently support you, of course.”
Fiasco fifth. Fatigue and questions.
Several days in a row for 10-12 hours on my feet, a simple and quick lunch in the church refectory, constant, as I found out, nervous tension, frequent insults and unfair accusations - all this, of course, contributes to humility. Or the appearance of thoughts about its absence. But fatigue, even exhaustion, is not a pleasant thing, believe me. Something even wanted to live. I approached the abbot:
“Forgive me, father, for the presumptuous fool! Take me away from your box. I couldn't do anything. People just looked.
- And How? Are there many good ones?
- Most of it.
“Ah, well, then it was not in vain that he was a candle-maker, lad. And, as I understand it, we won't be anymore, right?
Well, go with God.
In general, the priest pulled me out of the box, behind which I spent 40 unhumbled days. Days filled, frankly, not so much with condemnation as with dumbfoundedness and questions that I still have not received answers to. Why, for example, we have been living for more than 20 years without much persecution, but we know practically nothing about Christianity. And, what is scary, we especially do not want to know. Grandmothers with sorcerers, they say, they will tell us everything. Why do we think that God is simply obliged to give us this and that, if we submitted such and such a note or gave so many pieces of bells to “this ROC”. Why in the Church so depressingly little attention is paid to really good books, preferring to scare people with the end of the world, or to ruin a child's intellect with pious lisping. I already talked about angels. Why do parishes not have the right to buy what they need, and not to take goods of a nightmarish appearance and quality in the “administrations”, bought by not very enlightened, apparently, “specialist” people. Why you can not deal with hooligans and thieves. Why not deal with the homeless - whoever wants, let him work, get money, whoever does not want, let him go his own way, but do not urinate on the church. Why do we sacrifice a basic aesthetic sense for money to pay electricity bills, etc.? Why do we come to the temple not at the beginning of the service, but at the end of Communion and chat, chat, chat…
I have a lot of questions, a lot. But there are probably two main ones: what is more effective - magpie or memorial service? And which notes are stronger - "custom" or "simple"?
So I would not condemn the people working behind the church "box". I just happened to be in their place. It's hard for them!
Charter of the Pokrovo-Tervenichsky convent
U S T A V
COVER-TERVENIC
OF THE WOMEN'S MONASTERY
ST. PETERSBURG DIOCESE
MOSCOW PATRIARCHY
1. THE FOUNDATIONS OF MONASSY
1. Dispensation monastic life based on teaching Holy Scripture and St. Church Fathers, as well as on the innate desire of the human spirit through self-denial to achieve the highest moral perfection.
2. The goal of monasticism is the closest union with God, the acquisition of the grace of God, the achievement of the highest spiritual perfection.
3. The goal of monasticism is achieved through the voluntary unswerving fulfillment of Christian commandments and basic monastic vows, among which the most important place is occupied by: non-possession, virginity and obedience.
4. Non-acquisitiveness consists in complete renunciation of the world, that is, in abandoning one's own property, engaging in worldly affairs, leaving worldly honors and titles. Food, clothing, and other necessities should serve only to preserve life and health, and not to pleasure and lust, and therefore should be used with great limitation.
The one who makes a vow of non-possession is confirmed by the following words of Christ: “ ... if you want to be perfect, go, sell your property, and give to the poor, and have treasure in heaven, and come after Me ...» (Matthew 19:21).
5. Virginity consists in a permanent celibate life, i.e. in perfect abstinence from everything that is permitted in a married life, as well as in the constant preservation of the soul from unchaste thoughts and desires.
The one who takes the vow of virginity is affirmed in the following words of Scripture: " Mighty to contain, yes to contain " (Mt 19:12). " He who does not marry sings about the Lord, how to please the Lord " (1 Corinthians 7:32).
6. Obedience consists in the constant voluntary humble submission of oneself to the will of another with a decisive rejection of one's own will and one's own understanding. A true novice performs obedience exactly as he is directed, without omitting or adding anything.
Those who make a vow of obedience are affirmed in the words of Holy Scripture: " ... if anyone wants to follow Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me " (Mt. 16:24); " if anyone wants to be the greatest in you, let there be a servant for you " (Mt 20:26); " They have no control, they fall like leaves, but salvation is in a lot of advice " (Prov. 11:14).
7. To these main grounds, all the rules and orders that improve the sisterhood of the Intercession-Tervensky convent in the aggregate and the behavior of each person in the sisterhood, extending not only to spiritual and moral life, but also to the state of external deanery and economy, should be applied.
2. DEVICE OF THE POKROV-TERVENIC WOMEN'S MONASTERY
8. Pokrovo-Tervenichsky convent - a cenobitic monastery with a staff of 50 people.
9. The monastery is under the supervision and canonical control of the ruling Bishop - Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga.
The management of the Monastery is carried out by the Superior, appointed by the Holy Synod on the proposal of the ruling Bishop.
10. The Mother Superior together with the Confessor a) determine appointments to the main positions in the monastery (Blesser, Treasurer, Managers of the Metochion and Skete), asking for the blessing of the ruling Bishop; b) ask the blessing of the ruling Bishop for the tonsure into monasticism of novices fit for this; c) apply to the ruling Bishop for awarding the most deserving persons from among the sisters.
11. The ruling Bishop exercises general supervision over the conduct of the monastic economy, over the correct accounting and spending of funds, as well as over the level of the spiritual state of the sisters.
12. To help the Mother Superior, there is the Spiritual Council of the Intercession-Tervensky Convent, whose members are: the Mother Superior, the Dean, the Treasurer, the Manager of the Metochion, the Manager of the Skete, and, if necessary, some of the most worthy persons from the sisters in terms of experience and piety.
The Spiritual Council has its meetings by appointment of the Superior. The cases subject to judgment by the Spiritual Council are of two kinds: some are those for which the ruling Bishop must subsequently receive the approval, and others are those for which the Council has the right to enforce the decision itself with a subsequent report to the ruling Bishop.
3. OFFICIALS OF THE MONASTERY
13. PRIEST. The abbess in the monastery, more than anyone else, takes care of the improvement of the sisters of the monastery.
The duties of the Mother Superior are to maintain strict discipline and exemplary order in the monastery in every possible way, to take care of the spiritual perfection of all the nuns of the monastery, to tirelessly monitor the splendor and orderliness of Divine services in the monastery churches, to take care of the economy, the external condition of churches and buildings and the economic prosperity of the monastery. The abbess, as a person in charge of the monastery, receives visitors: pilgrims, foreign and local guests, employees of church and public institutions and other persons, guided in this by their own good judgment.
In her care for the souls of the sisters of the monastery, the Mother Superior, with the help of older and experienced nuns, sees to it that all the sisters cleanse their consciences with repentance as often as possible and partake of the Holy Mysteries.
The abbess checks the fulfillment of the obediences assigned to each of the members of the sisterhood of the monastery, and, if necessary, makes comments, reprimands and other types of penalties.
In the event of absence, illness, or death of the Mother Superior, the Dean of the monastery enters into the temporary administration of her duties, receiving in such cases the title of Deputy Mother Superior.
Note: in exceptional cases, the Deputy Prioress may be another person from the Spiritual Council of the monastery with the blessing of the Confessor of the monastery.
14. TREASURE. The duties of the Treasurer of the monastery are to closely monitor the receipt and expenditure of the monastic treasury and to maintain income and expenditure books in compliance with the rules of accountability, which is annually submitted by the Superior to the ruling Bishop.
The treasurer also monitors the status and movement of other types of material assets.
In the treasury, the Treasurer should store and protect the monastery plans and other important documents from any damage. The treasurer oversees the compilation, storage and verification of inventories of monastic property and valuables entering the monastery.
The Treasurer issues advance money to the Economist or other persons sent for purchases, and requires a report from them and the remaining money, after which the expense documents are approved by the Mother Superior.
The treasurer is subordinate to: a candle maker, a shopkeeper, as well as other positions, if any (cashier, accountant, etc.).
15. Confessor. A hieromonk or higher is appointed to the position of the Confessor of the monastery in perfect years, according to the rank of an honest and charitable life, gifted by God with spiritual reasoning and diligent in reading the Word of God and patristic writings. The confessor is supplied by the ruling Bishop.
The duty of the Confessor is to perform the sacrament of Penance and to guide the sisters on the path to salvation.
The confessor must keep a record of who and when communed the Holy Mysteries of Christ, so that everyone would steadily approach this great sacrament. Also, the Confessor is obliged, according to his indispensable duty, to visit the sick, comforting and encouraging them in mental and physical illnesses. If the Confessor, due to many problems or due to weakness, does not have time to receive all his spiritual pets, then with the consent of the Superior, some of them are allowed to be handed over to a spiritually experienced priest, but the Confessor is responsible for the correctness of the spiritual guidance on the part of the priest.
In addition, with the blessing of the Mother Superior and the Confessor, the nuns of this monastery, experienced in spiritual life, who are subordinate to the Confessor of the monastery, accepting fatherly advice and instructions from him, can be appointed as mentors for the novice nuns.
In addition to the nuns-mentors, the priests of the monastery are subordinate to the spiritual father, among whom one may be senior and responsible for performing divine services and sacraments.
In the great, responsible and difficult task of spiritual leadership, the Confessor is guided by the Word of God, the God-wise patristic writings, the rules of the Holy Church and the rules laid down in the Charter of the monastery.
16. AUDIENCE. The duty of the Blagochinnaya is to supervise the preservation of the external order and the moral behavior of the sisters of the monastery. During Divine services, the Reverend supervises that complete silence and strict order be observed in the church. The Reverence at all times visits the cells of the sisters, keeping order, the cleanliness of the cells and the pastime of the sisters, so that the monastics do not spend their time in idleness, but work in obedience, and in their free hours they practice reading soulful books, work and prayer.
In order to preserve the morality of the sisters, the Reverence must take care that the sisters do not receive strangers in their cells, as well as males, even close relatives, but allow a meeting with relatives only in specially designated rooms or in the temple with permission the Dean or Mother Superior herself.
The Blagochinnaya accommodates monastic guests in living cells, taking care of their peace and food together with the hotel room. The Reverend Lady sees to it that the sisters do not needlessly visit the persons accommodated in the living rooms, especially after the evening prayer rule when all sorts of idle intercourse between sisters is forbidden.
The Dean may have assistants to the Dean. The Reverend must daily observe how the sisters spent the day, i.e. whether everyone was at the prescribed services, whether they came to them in a timely manner, whether everyone was at a common meal, whether there were any deviations from obedience or deviations from the rules of monastic life. The Reverend daily submits a report on the state of affairs to the Superior, who gives orders appropriate to the case.
The sacristan, the usher, the clerk and the librarian are directly subordinate to the dean.
17. PRINCIPLE. The duties of the sacrists are the management and storage of all church utensils, for which the required inventory is drawn up, annually controlled by the Superior.
An inventory of all church property and all sacristy things with an indication of their account, weight and price should always be kept in the sacristy, in a safe place, and without the blessing of the Prioress of the inventory should not be given to anyone, but the sacristan herself should have an exact copy of the inventory to check the presence of the items mentioned in the inventory. The sacristy's key The sacristy must always have with her and without herself let no one into the sacristy, except for the sacristan's assistant, and then under the personal responsibility of the sacristan herself.
Precious things that were used during the service should be thoroughly examined every time after the service and the Superior should be notified in writing of any loss.
The sacristan gives out vestments for the clergy, makes sure that what needs to be repaired is corrected in a timely manner, and reports to the Mother Superior about the need to acquire new items; that which has fallen into disrepair is destroyed upon consideration by the Mother Superior or Reverend. The sacristan oversees the illumination of altars and temples.
The sacristan observes all the actions of the altar girl who obeys her. The sacristan may have an assistant sacristan at his disposal in case of need.
18. ECONOMY. The duties of the Economist are to manage and supervise the economic part of the monastery. The Economist has at his disposal both sisters who are engaged in monastic work, and third-party hired workers, whom the Economist, with the blessing of the Mother Superior, accepts and appoints at the right time to carry out various kinds of special work.
The distribution of the time of working sisters depends on the discretion of the Mother Superior or the Reverend, and the Housekeeper only ensures that everyone does work at the appointed time.
The distribution of the time of hired workers depends on the discretion of the Economist himself, who assigns the necessary work and monitors their execution.
If the Economist considers it necessary and useful to carry out any improvement in the monastic economy, then he is given the right to present his considerations to the Superior or the Dean.
The following are subordinate to the housekeeper: the cellar, junk, heads of workshops (icon painting, etc.), hotel, hospital, refectory, cook, purchaser, doorkeepers. The housekeeper may have an assistant.
19. CELLARER. The duties of the cellarer are to monitor the integrity and safety of food. Under his supervision are monastery kitchens, food warehouses, kvass and prosphora, in which unconditional cleanliness and tidiness must be observed.
The cellarer sees to it that everything that is required according to the Charter is always prepared at the meal. Without a special blessing from the Mother Superior or the Dean, the cellarer should not release food to the sisters' cells. In case of any confusion, the cellarer should apply for instructions to his immediate superior - the Economist or the Reverend.
20. INSTALLER. The duties of the usher consist in the strictest supervision of the rank of church services, so that they are performed in accordance with the church and monastic Rules.
The clerk watches over the daily readers, who are obliged to prepare kathismata, troparia, kontakia and other readings in advance and read on the kliros without errors, reverently and distinctly, without overflowing of voice, which is a sign of conceit and pride. Those who know few readers should be taught to read.
It is the responsibility of the usher to ensure that the Synods and commemorations are always properly read: at proskomedia, Liturgy, prayers and panikhidas.
The following are subordinate to the usher: regent, canonarch, bell ringers, regular readers and singers. The setter may also have assistants, for example, those responsible for the right and left kliros.
21. REGENT. The duties of the regent are to manage the monastery choir and to establish exemplary order in the kliros.
The choir should sing so harmoniously and prayerfully that the singing touches and touches those present, leads to the glorification of the name of God and brings spiritual benefit to all those who pray.
Neither the choir director himself nor the singers should allow jokes, laughter, idle talk and noise among themselves. Canonarch one should look through the texts of stichera and other chants in advance in order to canonize clearly and distinctly, making stops between phrases that are correct in meaning.
The regent systematically organizes rehearsals, in which all singers must steadily participate.
22. CANDLESTICK. The responsibility of the candle maker is to distribute candles, receive requests and register them, accept donations in the church, about which she must give detailed information to the Treasurer, having a book with her to record the receipt and expenditure of money and candles.
The candlestick should make sure that the church money mugs are sealed and closed until the pouring time.
The candlestick is also in charge of other church candles (deacon, polyeleos, remote, table, wild, etc.), which are issued to the altar woman, keeping appropriate written records.
The candle holder gives out candles for their timely placement at local and other icons.
23. SHOPHOUSE. The duties of the shopkeeper are: the distribution of icons, spiritual literature and various kinds of handicrafts coming out of the workshops of church utensils, compiling a list of the necessary church utensils and keeping the established monastic records in the candle shop.
Candle shop donations are given to the Treasurer or Mother Superior. Periodically, by decision of the Mother Superior, accounting for the store is carried out by the Audit Commission.
24. ALTAR. The duties of an altar girl require a very attentive attitude, since this obedience is associated with serving at the altar near the Holy See and St. Altar.
The altar girl is obliged to serve at Divine Services, to kindle lamps and a censer in the altar, to prepare prosphora, wine, water, warmth and other things. The altar, salt, images, etc., the altar should be cleaned of cobwebs and dust, sweeping the uncleanness into an untradeable place, freshen the air through ventilation and opening windows, carpets and paths should be knocked out as often as possible.
The altar girls are subordinate to the sacristans.
25. BELL RINGER. At the appointed time, the bell-ringer comes to the Mother Superior (or Reverend) for a blessing, and then produces the good news for the Divine Service in accordance with the Charter and the custom introduced in the monastery.
26. CLERK. The duty of the clerk is to manage the entire clerical office of the monastery. All written records of the monastery, including archival ones, must always be in perfect order and properly registered.
The correspondence of the monastery should not be delayed and stale. The clerk is subordinate to the Reverend and is guided by her instructions.
27. LIBRARIAN. The duties of a librarian are to manage the monastery library, purchase the necessary books and publications, compile an auxiliary inventory catalog and card index, and issue books to the nuns of the monastery (on receipt).
The position of a librarian requires a person experienced in spiritual work, who would issue books in accordance with the spiritual development and preparation of each sister of the monastery. The librarian should consult with the Mother Superior, the Confessor or other spiritually experienced persons about the usefulness of this or that book with the blessing of the Confessor.
The book depository must be kept in perfect order and cleanliness, placing books in departments, dilapidated books must be given to the binding in a timely manner.
Each sister who takes a book from the library should keep it intact, clean and tidy, protecting it from heat and dampness.
It is not allowed to transfer a book taken from the library to another person. From leaving the monastery, the librarian is obliged to demand the return of the taken books.
The librarian gives out the books needed for Divine services to the timely attendant, taking those that are not needed back to the library. The librarian may, according to a special list, issue to the clerk a full range of liturgical books, in which case the scribe bears full responsibility for the safety of these books.
28. RUKHLYADNY. Rukhlyadnaya oversees the purchase and manufacture of shoes or clothes for the sisters, as well as their repair. In her relations with her sisters, a junkie should be impartial and attentive, because it often happens that one woman, due to her modesty, does not ask, but needs things, while another demands unnecessarily too much.
As for the material from which clothes should be sewn for the sisters, then the matter should be bought simple, more durable, whose refinement, and not colored, but black or gray / for a chiton /, because panache in clothes is indecent for monastic humility.
Rukhlyadnaya submits to the Economist and reports to her in her obedience, presenting an estimate for the purchase of the necessary materials.
29. PROSFORNER. The prosphora maker is the responsible person for the production of prosphora, i.e. bread offered during the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Therefore, it is appropriate to bake such bread from pure fresh wheat flour, putting leaven and salt in moderation, so that the bread has a favorable taste.
The prosphora maker herself must live in purity and reverence, being in prayer, and especially while working in the prosphora. The prosphora girl submits to the Economist, receiving flour and everything she needs from the cellarer.
30. REFECTORY. The duties of the refectory are to supervise the preparation of food for the sisters and to keep order during the meal. The refectory / or, with the blessing of the Mother Superior, the cook / asks the blessing of the Mother Superior, what and in what quantity to cook food.
The refectory is obliged to monitor the maintenance of fire in the unquenchable lamp of the refectory church. In the morning, the refectory must come to the refectory church to receive fire from an unquenchable lamp, and with this fire the stoves in the kitchen are kindled.
At the end of the common meal of the sisters, in the second place, the refectory eats food, the reader and those of the sisters who, being on urgent obediences, did not get in the first place.
After the second turn, the refectory does not release food to anyone, either in the refectory or in the cell, except on special instructions from the Dean or the Housekeeper, to whom the refectory is directly subordinate. The refectory monitors that, both in the refectory and in the kitchen, exemplary cleanliness, neatness of the environment, clothes of the servants, dishes, and also monitors the ventilation of the refectory and kitchen rooms are always observed.
31. HOTEL. It is the responsibility of the hotel room to serve those who come to the monastery with love and diligence. The hotel immediately reports the arrival of any guest to the Mother Superior /or the person replacing her/, and does not accept anyone in the hotel without the blessing of the Mother Superior.
Monastics and novices from other monasteries who come to the monastery should in no way be placed with the sisters, but either in living rooms or in free cells.
Food for monastic guests should be modest and permitted by the monastic Rule. Deviation from the general rule /for the sick/ can only be done with the blessing of the Mother Superior.
32. HOSPITAL. The duty of the hospital is to care for and look after the sisters who are being treated. A God-fearing, compassionate and caring sister is appointed to the position of the hospital.
The hospital provides sick people with food, drink and medicines at the right time and in strict accordance with the instructions of the doctor and the Reverend.
We base the use of medicines on the Word of God (I. Sirach, chapter 38) and on the words of St. Basil the Great: " Like any benefit, art against the infirmities of nature has been given to us by God, for example, agriculture, weaving, architecture; so it must be said about the art of medicine ... The properties contained in roots, flowers, leaves, fruits and juices, and that in metals and in the sea openly usable flesh - all this is like the invention of food and drink" (Rule 55)
However, just as one should not completely avoid bodily treatment, one should not place all hope in it, remembering that medical art is effective only when it is the will of the Almighty.
33. WORKSHOP MANAGERS. The responsibility of the head of any workshop (icon-painting, sewing, embroidery, bookbinding, etc.) is to supervise the work carried out in it and to monitor the well-being of the working sisters and private individuals invited to carry out the work.
Laboring sisters remember the words of St. Apostle: " Below the tune is bread with poison from someone, but in labor and ascetic labor, night and day" (2 Thess. 3:8)
In monastic workshops, work should not be carried out that could have bad influence on the spiritual success of sisters, or demanding excessive contact with the world, especially with the male sex. Workshop managers report to the Economist.
4. CONDITIONS FOR ADMISSION TO THE SISTRY OF THE MONASTERY
34. No rank and no former moral way of life prevents a Christian from leaving the world and entering monasticism (in accordance with Canon 43 of the VI Ecumenical Council).
35. It is absolutely forbidden to accept into the sisterhood of the monastery:
· minors,
· a wife with a living husband, legally not divorced from her; if both spouses wish to enter a monastery, then it is necessary to take into account whether they have minor children requiring parental care.
36. A new entrant presents a passport, a certificate of marital status, and also writes her autobiography and an application for admission to the monastery in the name of the Mother Superior.
37. A newcomer undergoes a test for three years, and if she proves worthy to accept the monastic rank, the Superior makes a presentation about her tonsure to the ruling Bishop.
38. The period of probation may also be shortened, depending on the benevolence and moral stability of the novice, and also if the pious life of the one being tonsured before her entry into the sisterhood is known.
39. The presentation of a novice for monastic vows must be based not simply on the completion of the usually prescribed three years of probation, but on a certificate acquired through supervision and testing of her trustworthiness for a worthy passage of the monastic feat.
40. The subject is accepted into the society of sisters and undergoes a probationary life under the guidance of a nun-mentor.
41. The one who is accepted into the sisterhood remembers that the premises she occupies (a cell or part of a cell) is not her property, but is a dormitory or office space.
42. From those who come to the monastery cash deposit not required. It is not forbidden to accept from the incoming voluntary donation to the monastery, but only so that the donor gives a signature that she will not seek advantages for her sacrifice or boast of her sacrifice.
43. Wandering nuns who arbitrarily left another monastery are not accepted into the Pokrovo-Tervenichsky convent.
5. BEHAVIOR OF THE NEW NUNKS
44. First of all, the novice carefully studies the Rule of the Pokrovo-Tervenichsky convent, so that at the very first steps of her stay in it, she does not violate the order and discipline established in the monastery. Having read the entire Charter from beginning to end, the novice gives a signature that she is familiar with the Charter and undertakes to sacredly fulfill it, but in case of violation of the Charter, she undertakes to immediately leave the monastery with the blessing of the Mother Superior (or her substitute) without making any claims against monastery administration.
45. A novice should try in every possible way, leaving secular habits, imbued with the spirit of monastic life, remembering the instruction of St. Basil the Great to novice monks: " Have a modest gait, do not speak loudly, observe good manners in conversation, eat food and drink reverently, remain silent in front of the elders, be attentive to the wise, obedient to those in authority, have unhypocritical love for equals and lesser ones, move away from evil ones, speak little, carefully collect knowledge, not to talk too much, not to be quick to laugh, to be adorned with modesty" (Pou h January 1 to y h to the enik of the philosopher Livani).
46. In relation to the Mother Superior and the sisters, the novice should show humble respect. When meeting with the abbess, one should bow and ask for a blessing, and when meeting with other members of the sisterhood, bow in greeting.
47. One should enter the sisters' cell with a prayer: " Through the prayers of our holy fathers and reverend mothers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us" , and only when a response is received " Amen " .
48. After the evening rule, all sorts of idle conversations and walks are prohibited.
49. It is fitting to unquestioningly obey the will of the Mother Superior and those in charge, remembering that true and perfect obedience is shown in not only refraining from the incongruous without blessing, but also not doing the most laudable.
50. If any of the sisters deviates from the rules of monastic life, the Mother Superior tries to reason with her by exhortations. Whoever persists in disobedience and does not take corrective measures must be severely rebuked in front of all the sisters. If someone, even after repeated exhortations, does not correct himself, then he should, like a damaged member of the body, be completely cut off from the common body of the sisterhood.
51. Whoever does not accept the obedience approved by the Superior, he must privately or openly present his objections, if he has any reasonable grounds, or silently do what is ordered. If he himself is ashamed, let him use others as intermediaries for this. But if anyone persists in disobedience, complaining in secret, but not openly and honestly declaring his grief, he, as one who sows doubt in the sisters and shakes the confidence in the sanctity of obedience, is subject to expulsion from the sisterhood.
No one should enter into curious research and condemnation of the actions of the Mother Superior and other officials, except for those who are close in degree and prudence to the Mother Superior and whom she herself, if necessary, admits to a meeting and discussion about the general affairs of the monastery.
52. A novice must be in constant peace and love with all the sisters of the monastery, trying to be friendly and helpful with everyone.
53. The beginning of every obedience is accomplished by making the sign of the cross while reading a short prayer ( " Lord bless" etc.), as well as at windows h obedience must create sign of the cross with a prayer " Glory to Thee, Lord" and etc.).
54. Novices should not bring luxury items into their cells, as distracting from contemplation of God and contributing to the scattering of the mind. The best decoration of the monastic cell is the Holy Bible and other soulful books.
6. ABOUT SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE
55. Each member of the sisterhood of the monastery in relation to spiritual life must be under the supervision of the Confessor or nun-mentor.
56. The Mother Superior and the Confessor see to it that all the sisters cleanse their consciences with the sacrament of repentance and partake of the Holy Mysteries during all four fasts without fail, and some, depending on their state of mind, even more often.
57. For the sake of spiritual prosperity, each resident of the monastery should consider it her sacred duty to read the Holy Scriptures daily, as well as the works of the Holy Fathers and other soul-beneficial literature, finding in it spiritual food and spiritual comfort.
58. Sisters should not do anything special out of their own thoughts and will (in relation, in particular, to special spiritual feats), for example, impose a fast on themselves in excess of what is prescribed by the charter, and so on, so that self-pleasing and self-indulgence in spiritual deeds do not harm common good deed of soul salvation.
59. If one of the sisters offends someone, then he must immediately ask for forgiveness from the offended, and the offended must try with meekness and love to forgive the offender.
60. The nuns of the monastery should remember that by their industrious and unremitting fulfillment of the commandments of God, the rules of the fathers and church charters, they open the way for themselves to higher life, spiritual and contemplative, and the violation of the established rules of monastic life will be bitterly condemned. Therefore, for the benefit of those who stumble in their behavior, corrective measures are also necessary, used without malice against those who sin, but with careful consideration of guilt. The guilty one, receiving penance, accepts it not as a scourge, but as a cure for encouragement for the better.
61. As corrective measures, the following can be used: removal from a common meal for one or several days, transfer from obedience more responsible and honorable to less responsible and honorable, as well as bowing.
62. Regarding prostrations, the monastery is guided by the following judgment of Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow: " The custom of prostrate for misdeeds requires spiritual reasoning. Both the boss and the guilty should not look at this as a punishment. Prayer, in its essence, is and should be presented as a beneficial action, and not a punitive one. You should also not bow down in front of the brethren with the thought of humiliation or shame. Prayer is a sacred action and should not be presented as a shameful action. It should be put on bows so that the one who violates his duty asks God for forgiveness and help for his correction. This should be done without many witnesses, so that he can more conveniently pray without embarrassment. If there is a need to put someone on prostration in front of the brethren, then it is necessary to inspire him and the brethren that this is not to humiliate him, but that others, seeing his repentance, call on God's help for correction" .
7. ABOUT SERVICE
63. The most important object of attention of the monastic authorities and the zeal of the sisters is the church service and the rule of prayer. Therefore, all sisters, from those in charge to the novice, must unreservedly and reverently participate in the Divine Service and the prayer rule or be present at it. Failure in this most sacred matter must be recognized as an important violation of the order of the spiritual life of the monastery.
64. In order to maintain ceremoniality and order in the performance of Divine services, the Dean of the monastery, together with the senior priest, monthly draw up a schedule of Divine Services for the monastery, farmstead and skete, controlled and signed by the Superior, indicating the clergy involved in each individual service.
65. Half an hour before the start of the morning prayer rule or Divine service, the wake-up room, having taken a blessing from the Reverend, goes around all the cells with a prayer to awaken the sisters from sleep.
66. Each of the sisters should try to come to church before the start of the service or prayer rule. About those who did not come or came to the church late, the Dean announces to the Mother Superior. Also, no one should leave the church before the end of the Divine service or prayer rule.
67. Those engaged in certain obediences (in the refectory, prosphora, etc.), if they cannot fully attend all church services and prayer rules, must have special permission for this from the Superior or Reverend.
68. Those who read and sing in church should do their work with unflagging attention, without haste, without damaging church singing with innovations that are inconsistent with the simplicity and tenderness characteristic of monastic worship.
69. None of the sisters, under any pretext, should take money or other things for themselves personally, but hand over all income to persons responsible for the monastery.
70. Sisters are required to appear for the Divine Service in full vestments, and for the prayer rule - in a tunic and an apostle / novices - in a tunic and a scarf /.
71. On the way to and from church, sisters should not stop and enter into idle conversations with outsiders, but if anyone is asked about anything, limit themselves to the necessary brief answer.
8. ABOUT THE MEAL
72. If a sister's meal is served immediately after the end of a church service, then the sisters go directly from the church to the refectory, and if at some time, then, while waiting for the meal, they have rest in their cells.
73. Having asked for blessings from the Superior, the refectory strikes the bell, and the sisters immediately gather for a meal, which begins and ends with prayers laid down according to the charter.
74. During the meal, the sisters remain silent, listening to the proposed reading from the lives of the saints or from instructive books. A special schedule is set up for readers for a week or more, and none of the sisters should deviate from this obedience.
75. Late descent into the meal or leaving it before the end without blessing is recognized as a disorder and is not left without responsibility.
76. No one should take food to the cell, except for those who are allowed by the Mother Superior or the Dean, as they are unable to come to the common meal, for example, due to illness, extreme old age, and other serious reasons. Illegally latecomers may be reprimanded or even deprived of a meal.
9. ABOUT CELL STAY
77. The time remaining from the Church Divine service and obedience, spent in the cells, the sisters should use with prudence and thrift, acquiring the greatest possible benefit, mainly spiritual. Such useful cell activities can be:
a) cell rule according to the charter and the blessing of the Confessor.
b) reading soulful books and writing out the most important edifying thoughts from them;
c) exercise in church singing and reading, the study of the musical alphabet, the Church Slavonic language, the charter of the church and other subjects that serve as preparation for the church service;
d) classes assigned by the Mother Superior or someone from the authorities and performed as an obedience (icon painting, annals, etc.);
e) needlework for the benefit of the monastery, or to satisfy one's own needs, or for other useful purposes;
f) cleaning the cell, cleaning and repairing clothes, shoes, and other things that serve the purpose of cleanliness and tidiness of the dwelling and clothes of the nun.
78. The favorite reading book of every nun in a monastery should be the Holy Bible; The sacred books of the Old and New Testaments, which tell about the history of the creation of the world and man, about the preparation of the human race to receive the Savior and about the coming into the world, teaching, suffering, death and the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
79. Among the spiritual and moral literature can be recommended for private reading the following ascetic writings: Abba Dorotheus, Basil the Great, John of the Ladder, Ephraim the Syrian, Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom, Barsanuphius the Great, Paterik of Athos, Simeon the New Theologian, Abba Isaiah, Tikhon of Zadonsk, Demetrius of Rostov, St. Theophan the Recluse, St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, Bishop Peter, five volumes of the Philokalia, the Ancient Patericon, the Spiritual Meadow, the Prologue, the Kyiv Patericon, the lives and teachings of the Monks Alexander Svirsky, Seraphim of Sarov, Sergius of Radonezh, Paisius Velichkovsky and other spiritual and moral writings.
80. Sisters' clothes should be clean and simple, free from luxury and glamor, and, if possible, uniform.
81. In case of illness, the sisters of the monastery, with the blessing of the Mother Superior, visit a doctor and inform the Mother Superior of the results of the visit.
10. ABOUT VISITORS AND ABOUT VISITING CELLS
82. Reception in the cells of external visitors (female) is allowed only with the blessing of the monastic authorities, and in the daytime.
83. Males are not allowed in the cell. If the need arises for a sister of the monastery to see a close relative, then they are received not in the cell, but in specially designated rooms or in the church.
84. Without the blessing of the Superior, no one has the right to leave any of the outsiders in his cell for the night. Equally, none of the sisters has the right to spend the night in the same monastery, but in a different cell or with another sister, but only in one provided to her by the monastic authorities.
85. Sisters may visit each other in cells for joint studies in preparation for Divine services (reading, etc.), as well as for joint edification, mutual assistance in cell needs, for visiting the sick and the elderly and for serving them. Such visits do not require special permission, however, if these visits turn out to be entertaining and harmful, they may be prohibited in individual cases.
86. After the evening meal and the evening rule, everyone should remain in their cell, except for special plausible cases, when a sister is summoned to one of the authorities, or if it is necessary to visit the Confessor, minister to the sick, rest after a tiresome obedience, etc.
11. CONDITIONS OF ABSENCE FROM THE MONASTERY
87. Exit from the monastery happens on official duty by order of the authorities or is allowed at the request of those who have a valid private need for it.
88. If any of the sisters needs to leave the gates of the monastery during the daytime hours (before the beginning of the evening Divine service or the prayer rule), then the verbal permission of the Blagochinnaya is sufficient for this. Trips to the city and other areas located outside the monastery, no matter how short they are, are blessed only by the Mother Superior or the person replacing her, and in such cases the sisters write a petition indicating a clear reason, the exact address of the trip and the time of return.
89. In the event of illness or other important reasons, some of the sisters may also receive a longer vacation (to improve their health, etc.), but in each individual case the authorities of the monastery have a special judgment on this, so that the time spent on the side, did not harm the sister in her spiritual dispensation.
90. Those who are sent in the form of special need for obedience to farmsteads or other monasteries must immediately return to the monastery at the end of obedience. If a sister arrives in St. Petersburg, then immediately upon arrival she must inform the Manager of the farmstead about her arrival, the address where she will live, the phone number and the duration of her stay.
91. Monastics should not go to secular houses for funerals, memorial services, etc. dinners without the blessing of the Mother Superior or the Reverend (in the courtyard and in the skete - without the blessing of the Administrator).
92. Those who leave the monastery upon their return immediately give an account to the persons who let them go (including those sent for household needs).
93. Novices during a long vacation from the monastery should not wear monastic attire.
94. In special cases, the sisters of the monastery, with the blessing of the Mother Superior or the Dean (in the courtyard and in the skete - with the blessing of the Steward), may not wear monastic attire.
12. CONDITIONS OF DISMISSAL FROM THE MONASTERY
95. Nuns who have betrayed their vows, who live shamefully, who obey monastic discipline only to such an extent as to be able to use the cell and table free of charge, and who, with their malfunction, put a stain on the Holy Monastery, after exhortation and the adoption of disciplinary measures, can be removed from the monastery as unfit for monastic life. and bringing temptation to the rest of the sisters.
96. Inokini dismissed from the monastery must the shortest time, indicated by the Mother Superior, hand over the cell and the keys to it, monastic clothes and other state things, return the books taken from the library to the librarian and leave the monastery in secular clothes.
97. If any sister, dismissed from the monastery, or left it on her own, realizes her sin, returns back to the monastery and asks the Mother Superior and the entire sisterhood to receive her again, promising to correct her former life and fulfill the prescribed Charter, then such a sister can be , after a full consideration of the case of her, accept. But before acceptance, she must testify her repentance on paper, and only then enroll her first in the category of new applicants, and then - after a long test - in the number of the sisterhood.
98. In the event of the death of any sister of the monastery, all her property, according to the inventory compiled by the Treasurer, the Housekeeper and the Dean, is transferred to the warehouse and is the common property of the monastery. In exceptional cases, with the blessing of the Mother Superior, a dying sister may otherwise dispose of her personal belongings by making a special will for this.
The statute of the Pokrovo-Tervenichsky convent was compiled on the basis of
Charter of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra /1956/
in March 2000
APPENDIX No. 1 /FOR SKITE/
1. The skete is a structural subdivision of the monastery and all the general provisions of the Charter apply to it.
2. The candidacy of the Manager of the skete is approved by the ruling Bishop on the proposal of the Superior and the Confessor.
3. The skete in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "The Inexhaustible Chalice" was founded to solve the following tasks:
a) location of the monastery cemetery and constant prayer for the deceased sisters and those buried in this place;
b) in connection with the blessing of Metropolitan Vladimir of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, to consecrate the temple of the skete in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "The Inexhaustible Chalice", special prayers should be offered in this temple for those who are addicted to alcohol and drugs;
c) it is also the duty of the manager and the nuns of the skete to provide not only prayerful but also all-round practical assistance to those suffering from such ailments.
4. The manager of the skete has care for the improvement of the skete and its nuns, for maintaining strict discipline and exemplary order in the skete.
5. The manager of the skete in her activities is subordinate to the Mother Superior, asking her blessing to carry out any business in the skete, and is accountable to the Spiritual Council.
6. The financial resources of the skete consist of proceeds from the monastery, from the sale of church utensils, books and candles, as well as from voluntary donations. The correct accounting and distribution of these funds is the responsibility of the Manager.
7. At least once every three months, the manager of the skete gives the Mother Superior a report on the financial, economic activity and about the general state of affairs in the skete. With the blessing of the Mother Superior, the Dean and the Treasurer can conduct inspections in the skete within the scope of their duties.
8. All the nuns of the skete are subordinate to the Manager of the skete. If any doubts arise, they must be directly expressed to the Manager, but if they could not be resolved in this way, one must turn to the Superior.
9. On the entire territory of the skete, the use of alcoholic beverages, including those days when wine is permitted by the Charter of the Church.
APPENDIX No. 2 /FOR COMPOUND/
1. The courtyard is a structural subdivision of the monastery and all the general provisions of the Charter apply to it.
2. The candidacy of the Manager of the Metochion is approved by the ruling Bishop on the proposal of the Superior and the Confessor.
3. Compound in honor of St. torment. Faith, Hope, Love and M. Sophia was founded to solve the following tasks:
a) connection with the cathedral city of the ruling Bishop and prayerful communication with Orthodox Petersburgers - admirers of the Intercession-Tervenichsky convent;
b) material and economic support of the monastery;
c) assistance to those wishing to visit the monastery.
4. The manager of the farmstead has care for the improvement of the farmstead and its nuns, for maintaining strict discipline and exemplary order in the yard both in relation to the life of the nuns and the performance of Divine services.
5. The manager of the farmstead in her activities is subordinate to the Superior, asking her blessing for the performance of any affairs in the farmstead, and is accountable to the Spiritual Council.
6. The financial resources of the farmstead are formed from various financial transactions, from the sale of church utensils, books and candles, as well as from voluntary donations. The correct accounting and distribution of these funds is the responsibility of the Manager.
7. At least once every three months, the Manager of the farmstead gives the Mother Superior a report on the financial, economic activities and the general state of affairs in the farmstead. With the blessing of the Mother Superior, the Dean and the Treasurer can conduct inspections in the courtyard within the scope of their duties.
8. All residents of the farmstead are subordinate to the Manager of the farmstead. If any doubts arise, they must be directly expressed to the Manager, but if they could not be resolved in this way, one must turn to the Superior.
Our correspondent Inna KARPOVA visited several churches in Moscow to get acquainted with the life of the vestibule. It turned out that the "first people" of the temple had accumulated considerable experience in communicating with people who came to church.
Weird people
Many parishioners have stories in store about such “serpentine old women” from the temple, who treat visitors unkindly: they can scold for appearance, pull up for the fact that they got up in the wrong place, they came at the wrong time - “I just washed the floors!”.
It turns out that those who work in the temple have no less stories about wonderful parishioners. Someone asks for a cat funeral, someone demands unprecedented and non-existent icons, “about which the psychic told me”, someone - the address of the monastery, “where you can earn five thousand a day.” It takes great patience to always answer everyone kindly, understanding that a person asks not out of harm, but out of ignorance. You need to be able not to get lost and calmly respond to the most unexpected requests. Sergey, the watchman of the temple and a student of the medical school, says:
- I was sitting one evening, I was already going to close the temple, and suddenly a boy entered. Black person. Dressed decently, headphones in the ears, a player on the side. “I,” he says, “I’m going from a friend.” “Very nice,” I say. - So what?" - “Yes, I got lost, I wanted to spend the night with you ...” I began to ask him - where he lives, where he goes from. I suffered with him for a long time, called the priest, thought, decided - he did not want to leave. And so they laid him down in the porch on a banquette ... But this is an exception, in fact, we don’t let anyone sleep in the temple.
While we were talking with Sergei, a man entered the porch and demanded to be taken to the rector. When asked why he needed a rector, the man became furious - he gnashed his teeth, began to cross himself often, often (apparently, to refrain from a strong word).
- What, you also have a bureaucracy?! Can you visit your temple? Free admission?!
The young watchman did not stop smiling, and this, apparently, especially irritated the man.
- Of course free, come in.
How does the temple work?
- Here's the timetable.
- How should it work?
- As the abbot will bless, - says Seryozha.
The man from anger again began to cross himself often and often and puff. Then, nevertheless, he took the handle of the door to enter the temple, and almost shouted:
- A must work constantly!
(I must say that this temple just works all the time - every day from 6.30 to 20.00.)
By the end of the dialogue, I myself was ready to gnash my teeth - an annoyed man annoyed me very much, he was dissatisfied with everything in advance. It turns out that when you look from the watchman's seat, you also get the feeling that only gentle and meek people should come to the temple.
But Sergey said that there are a lot of unbalanced people. “I don’t care, I don’t work here so often, but Mikhail Ivanovich - yes, he gets it.” Mikhail Ivanovich says about his work as the “first person”: “You have to be simple, like a dove, and wise, like a snake. Everything is providential, and if the Lord brought a person to the temple, then it is necessary to help with the mind. Even if a person comes drunk, we should not condemn him, he just had such an upbringing, he lived in such an environment. If a homeless person comes in terrible clothes - you need to help him bring himself into a human form, because these are living people who themselves feel very bad about this - try to live on the street! True, some come in mud a few days after they received the clothes and say: “I need to change this.” Like a wardrobe! Then I answer: “Excuse me, dear, why do we have to change you in three or four days? After all, then those who really need it will not get anything.”
"Sorry" - favorite word Mikhail Ivanovich. When he can't help, he always says sorry. And this word, it seems, saves from any eccentrics.
Clothes, shoes, food...
The homeless are very frequent visitors to temples, especially those where clothes and shoes are collected for them. They usually do not want to go further than the porch and communicate with the watchman or cleaning lady. Then - “as the rector blesses”: somewhere they are driven (as in one of the Moscow churches, where an endless line of the most suspicious people stretches from the “three stations”), somewhere the watchman or candlesticks take out the clothes left by the parishioners. In order to quickly respond to such requests, a special post was created in the church at the 1st City Hospital, where sisters of mercy are on duty in turn.
Irina Naumovna was on duty in my parish. I ask, how is the watch going today?
- You were a little late, now there is a lull, and in the morning today about ten people came homeless. Shoes were requested, but there were few shoes left. Two, who have a smaller size, gave. And the rest - shirts (they all ask for black ones, but where can you find so many black ones?), two of them got jackets. It was especially nice that they asked for a needle and thread. Usually a thing will tear a little - they immediately throw it away.
Irina Naumovna writes down in a special notebook everyone who was: “Petukhov Anatoly Vladimirovich, born 48, homeless (from Voronezh), was in Afghanistan, walks with a cane, a disabled person of the 2nd group, pension certificate No. ... Socks were issued , jacket... Shilyaev Viktor Alexandrovich, born 51, bum (from Sverdlovsk), jacket, threads (carried away)...” Such magazines have been kept for several years. Names, age, circumstances are entered into a large common notebook: where he lives, what are the difficulties (according to the person), some signs - so that you can recognize him if he comes again. They record what and how much was issued - both for internal reporting and for the next meetings with a person. If a person was dressed only a week ago, and he again came for help, he may be refused (the sisters are asked to come for clothes no more than once a month).
While we were talking, another homeless man came to get some clothes. Irina Naumovna first of all handed him a third of a loaf in a bag:
- Do you need bread?
The peasant took it reluctantly - it was not clear: did he need bread or not? Or is it just embarrassing to take? Judging by the reaction of I.N., psychological analysis is inappropriate here, and there is no time to think about it. I.N. brought things. The man chose a shirt, trousers, looked at the jacket:
- Something you have a jacket ... some kind of murdered ...
So I didn't take it. He didn't like the jacket. Although it seemed to be good - strong, clean.
Soon a homeless woman appeared - a fat old woman in a headscarf. It turned out that she had been coming here for several years, and not an old woman at all - she was only 48. “Mother,” she says, “do you have any shoes? I would like shoes!” We look - she has a sneaker on one leg, a cut slipper on the other, and the leg itself is swollen, unevenly reddened, with some kind of scabs.
- What about your leg?
- Here, such a bad leg (crying). I would like some knitwear - a dress. Last time they gave me a knitted dress here ... You know, by the time I got there, I was so hungry! Maybe you have something to eat?
- Have you seen a doctor with your foot? On Kursk they accept without documents. (The sisters on duty know all the places where a homeless person can go, and a list of such places is periodically posted at the entrance to the temple. And the homeless periodically take it away with them.)
- Yes, I was on Kursk in the first-aid post. And they say to me: “Are you sitting at the station? So sit down." They would put me in the hospital at home in the Lyskovsky district, I worked there on the collective farm, but how will I get there? without money? They would have made me a passport, I just have to pay 50 rubles. I would like 50 rubles ...
The woman obviously needed help - it is impossible to walk in wet weather in a slipper and with bare legs. Yes, and a doctor is needed - apparently, she had erysipelas, quite neglected. But she herself was confused about what to ask for. I started with shoes, then knitwear, then food, then 50 rubles ...
- And my friend - she is sitting with me at the station - her leg was even worse, and they took her to the hospital - you know, at Polezhaevskaya? And then comes - the leg is white-white! Cured. And they fed there, and washed in the bath, and gave money. Good hospital. They also have compassion. They will take me there too.
It was evident that she had been cherishing these dreams for a long time.
In such cases, you need to act on your own. I.N. decided to call an ambulance, "grandmother" was delighted. I.N. I called the doctors and went to pick up things, and in the meantime the woman told me about her collective farm, about her mother, who also died “of a foot”, shed a tear at this place. It turned out that she also had money - she offered bribes to the metro guards so that they would not be driven into the street. Such is life unlucky. Then the ambulance arrived. “Why don’t you love yourself, my dear? So the leg started! After all, she’s very young!” - the bearded doctor said to the woman and took her to the infectious diseases hospital.
Then there were other people. Some seemed suspicious to me, but Irina Naumovna believed them, helped and explained to me later how good it is that these people still want to change something in their lives, do not sit idly by. Another sister of mercy, who is often on duty in the porch, said this: “We do not know what position we ourselves may find ourselves in. I got into a difficult situation when we went on a pilgrimage trip to Diveevo, and on the way back at night our bus broke down. Nothing was visible, but it was necessary to get there somehow, to catch random cars. And then one woman began to read an akathist, in which there were words that the Lord makes us feel inconvenience on ourselves, so that we think about people in the same situation and help them.
Of course, prudence is also needed - especially when they ask for money (most often - for the way home). It usually starts like this: “I recently got free ...” As a rule, they don’t give money for hands in temples, so over the years there are fewer such requests - the wireless telegraph works. No matter what information a person shows, they will still offer him: “Let's go with you to the station, buy a ticket and put you on a train.” Alas, most people refuse. If a person is ready to go, they not only buy a ticket for him, but also escort him to the train at the appointed hour - and only then they give the ticket, and, if possible, also entrust it to the care of the conductor.
It happens that a person sent home appears again - out of habit for a restless life and wanderings. Of course, it makes no sense to send such a second time home. But the help of the temple simply saves some. One community once received a translation from Elista, which contained an unfamiliar Kalmyk surname. The parishioners thought for a long time - who could it be? Then they remembered that this man was mentioned by a woman who was helped to leave for Kalmykia six months ago. The amount that unexpectedly returned to the temple turned out to be more than those travel expenses.
Just listen!
What else do they bring to church for the first time? With questions. Usually people who seek God still prefer to talk to priests. But it happens that they start with the “first people”, and they do not always know what to answer, because when applying for a job as a salesman or watchman, they do not require a diploma from a theological institute. How to be?
In the Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit at the Lazarevsky cemetery, they came up with a solution: they made a special “questionnaire” - a hint for candle makers so that they know how to answer the most common questions: about church sacraments, about how simple notes differ from custom ones, when to drink holy and baptismal water, etc. For example, if they ask what kind of day it is when the Church prays for suicides, the candle-makers, looking into the “cheat sheet”, will be able to confidently answer that there is no such day and cannot be. But it is prescribed to answer all questions about witchcraft that you are not an expert in this field, and send them to the priests.
Sometimes people come to the temple to show their poems on spiritual topics - sincere, but helpless. They come with joy, with sorrow. With pleasure, of course, less often. The candlestick of the Church of All Saints on Kulishki remembered for a long time when this happened for the last time. Then she remembered a woman who came to the temple because her long-awaited grandson was born. She asked who should light a candle and pray with gratitude.
But you have to hear about misfortunes, illnesses, disasters all the time. And here already everyone in his measure can listen and console. Therefore, somewhere the candlesticks are affectionate and cordial, somewhere they are deliberately aloof and tired for life from stories about other people's suffering.
Such a difference sometimes depends on the temple itself, on its rector. In hospital temples, for example, where communities gather from those people who help the sick, usually the staff of the temples are compassionate people. Tells about. Nikolai Filev, rector of the Samara hospital church in the name of St. Grand Duchess Elizabeth: “Our hospital is the largest in the region, “provincial”. In addition to the temple, it also has a prayer room on the seventh floor. Our sister of mercy is constantly on duty there and receives various requests from the sick. She is trained in how to comprehensively approach a person, listen to him carefully.
And in the temple itself, from the moment a person crossed the threshold, he is surrounded by attention and care.
Our Irisha, sister of mercy, is talking to him. This tradition has developed by itself - probably because the temple is small, there is no conveyor. And then, I myself visited parish churches, I saw how our old women, who are now less and less, for many reasons, barked at the youth. Therefore, we set out to ensure that everything in the temple was in the spirit of love. Indeed, in the first Christian community - the apostolic - no one barked at each other. Otherwise, the faith of Christ would not have stood.”
In general, people in the porch are people with a lot of experience. The experience of constantly testing oneself for patience, readiness to help. At this place you are too visible - what you are inside. But a person, perhaps, went just to guard or just sell candles and did not think that many would judge the whole Church by him.
However, by and large, we all find ourselves in this situation all the time.