M. I

P The appearance of the first monasteries in Rus' dates back to the era of Vladimir, the Baptist of Rus', and under his son, Yaroslav the Wise, monastic life was already very diverse. Sometimes monastics lived near parish churches in cells that each set up for himself, they were in strict asceticism, they gathered together for worship, but they did not have a charter and did not take monastic vows.

There were desert dwellers, cavemen ( Old Russian. baker). We know about the existence of this ancient form of monasticism in Rus' from the story “The Tale of Bygone Years” about Hilarion, who lived in a cave until he was appointed metropolitan in 1051. Later, Anthony settled in his cave, having come to Rus' from Athos.

There were ktitor monasteries, that is, founded by princes or other rich people. So, in 1037, Yaroslav the Wise founded the monasteries of St. George and St. Irina ( christian names prince and his wife). The first was located near the St. Sophia Cathedral, the second - at the Golden Gate. The sons of Yaroslav were also ktitors.

Most of the monasteries were male, but by the end of the XI century. women also appeared: Vsevolod Yaroslavich built a monastery near the church of St. Apostle Andrew, in which his daughter Janka was tonsured, and this monastery was called the Yanchin Monastery.

Ktitor monasteries in pre-Mongolian Rus prevailed. Their abbots were closely connected with the princely dynasties, which gave them some independence in relation to the metropolitan, but made them dependent on the princes. These monasteries were ancestral tombs, a place of stay in old age, they had more funds than others, the possibility of entering them was due to the size of the contribution that the future monk made.

TO strangely enough, in the early period, very few monasteries were founded by the monks themselves. One of these - the Kiev Caves Monastery - was founded by Anthony and his disciple Theodosius, who are considered the founders of monasticism in Rus'.

It is symbolic that Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves bore the same monastic names as the fathers of Eastern monasticism - Rev. Anthony the Great, head of the Egyptian anchorites, and St. Theodosius of Jerusalem, organizer of the Palestinian community. Contemporaries saw in this a connection with the origins of monasticism, this is mentioned by the Kiev Caves Patericon - the first monastic biography and the Tale of Bygone Years - the first Russian chronicle.

Kiev-Pechersk Lavra

Anthony was a native of Lyubech, at a young age he went to Athos, there he became a monk, learned the rules of monastic life, and then received a command from God to return to Rus'. One of the Svyatogorsk elders predicted to him: “As if from you, I’ll have black people.” Arriving in Kyiv, Anthony went to the monasteries in search of a place of asceticism, but "did not love" any of them. Having found Hilarion's cave, he settled in it.

Anthony led a strict ascetic life, daily and nightly being in labor, vigil and prayer, eating bread and water. Soon, many disciples gathered around Anthony, he instructed them, tonsured some of them as monks, but did not want to become abbot. When the number of monks reached twelve, Anthony appointed Barlaam as abbot, son of a boyar, and he retired to a distant cave to live as a hermit.

Kiev-Pechersk Icon of the Mother of God with St. Anthony
and Theodosius Pechersky. OK. 1288

Barlaam's successor was Theodosius, one of Anthony's youngest disciples. When he became abbot, he was only 26 years old. But under him the number of brethren increased from twenty to one hundred. Theodosius was very concerned about the spiritual growth of the monks and about the organization of the monastery, he built cells, and in 1062 he laid the stone church of the Assumption of the Virgin. Under Theodosius, the Caves monastery receives a cenobitic charter on the model of the Studian monastery in Constantinople and becomes the most large monastery in Kyiv. Theodosius was a talented church writer, left many spiritual writings.

ABOUT We learn about the life of the monastery from the "Kiev-Pechersk Patericon". This is a collection based on the messages of Bishop Simon of Vladimir, also a tonsurer of this monastery, and the Kiev-Pechersk monk Polycarp. These messages contain stories about the history of the monastery. The authors lived in the 13th century, but used the records kept in the monastery from the 11th century.

From the "Paterik" we learn how diverse was the composition of the monks of the Kiev-Pechersk monastery: there were not only Russians, but also Greeks, Varangians, Ugrians (Hungarians), Jews. Poor peasants, wealthy townspeople, merchants, boyars, even princes became monks. Among the monks of the Caves was the first Russian icon painter Alipy, the doctor Agapit, the chronicler Nestor, Kuksha, the enlightener of the Vyatichi, Prokhor Lebednik, who baked sweet bread from bitter quinoa for the people of Kiev during the famine. There were scribes and preachers, missionaries and hermits, prayer books and miracle workers.

P At first, monasteries were created in Southern Rus': in Chernigov, Boldinsky (Eletsky) in honor of the Assumption of the Mother of God, in Pereslavl St. John, in Vladimir Volynsky Svyatogorsky Monastery, etc. Gradually, monasteries began to appear in the northeastern lands: Spassky was founded in Murom in the pre-Mongolian period monastery, in Suzdal - St. Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica and others.

Holy Dormition Yelets convent in Chernihiv

Monasticism very quickly becomes a widespread phenomenon in Rus'. According to chronicles, in the XI century. there were 19 monasteries, on the eve of the Mongol-Tatar invasion - more than a hundred. By the middle of the XV century. there were 180 of them. Over the next century and a half, about three hundred were opened, the 17th century alone gave 220 new cloisters. On the eve of the revolution, there were 1025 monasteries in the Russian Empire.

H ovgorod was the second most important city Ancient Rus', and in the pre-Mongolian period there were 14 monastic cloisters. Yuryev was one of the oldest Novgorod monasteries. According to legend, it was founded by Yaroslav the Wise, but the earliest surviving mention dates back to 1119, when Abbot Kiriak and Prince Vsevolod Mstislavich founded stone church in the name of St. George.

Cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God of the Anthony Monastery in Veliky Novgorod

A significant number of monasteries were founded by wealthy Novgorodians, and the Anthony Monastery was founded by Anthony the Roman (according to legend, he arrived from Rome on a stone). Anthony's Monastery was first mentioned in chronicles in 1117, when the first stone church appeared in it, but the erection of wooden buildings dates back to an earlier time. The spiritual charter of the monastery has been preserved, containing one of the first speeches in Russian history against the appointment of hegumen as a prince or bishop “for bribes” and “for violence”. Thus, the democratic traditions of Novgorod were also manifested in the life of the monasteries.

Among the Novgorod monasteries created by the ascetics, the most famous was the Khutyn Monastery of the Transfiguration. Its founder Varlaam (in the world - Alexa Mikhailovich), a native of Novgorod, the son of wealthy parents, under the influence of "divine" books, felt an attraction to monasticism as a child. After the death of his parents, he distributed the estate and entered into obedience to the elder Porfiry (Perfury), after a while he went to the Khutyn hill ( glory. a bad place), ten miles outside the city, and began to live in solitude. Students began to come to him, and gradually a monastery was formed. The monk accepted everyone, taught to avoid unrighteousness, envy and slander, lies, to have meekness and love, instructed nobles and judges to judge righteously and not take bribes, the poor - not to envy the rich, the rich - to help the poor.

M the Mongolian invasion disrupted the natural course of monastic life in Rus', many monasteries suffered from pogrom and ruin, not all monasteries were subsequently restored. The revival of monasticism began in the second half of the 14th century, and it is associated with the names of St. Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, and Rev. Sergius of Radonezh.

There is little information about monasteries left from the Mongol-Tatar era, but the importance of monasticism in the spiritual and social life at that time increases, it becomes a spiritually consolidating force in society. The nature of the monasteries is also changing. If in the initial period the monasteries were mostly urban or located near cities, then from the XIV century. more "desert" cloisters appear. The desert in Rus' was called a secluded place, far from cities and villages, most often it was a wild forest.

The founders of these monasteries, as a rule, are very bright personalities, the most famous are Sergius of Radonezh and a galaxy of his students and followers, the initiators of the spiritual upsurge in Rus' at the end of the 14th-15th centuries. The personality of Sergius was so attractive that even those who did not have a monastic vocation wanted to live near him. The Trinity Monastery founded by him eventually grew into the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, a pearl in the necklace of Russian monasteries (for more details, see the article on pp. 10–11).

In the middle of the XIV century. active development and settlement of the area around the Trinity Monastery began: the peasants cleared the forest for arable land, set up villages and yards here, and the once desert area turned into a populated and developed region. The peasants not only came to worship at the monastery, but also sought to help the monks. However, there was a strict commandment of the abbot in the monastery: even in the case of the most extreme impoverishment, “not to leave the monastery to this or that village and not to ask the laity for bread, but to expect mercy from God.” The request for alms, and even more so the demand for deposits and donations, were strictly prohibited, although voluntary offerings were not rejected. For Sergius, the ancient monastic ideal of non-acquisitiveness was holy, but in the practice of many monasteries it was violated.

A hundred years after Sergius, the issue of monastic property would lead to a split in monasticism into two parties - non-possessors, led by Nil Sorsky, who preached poverty and independence of monasteries, and Josephites, led by Joseph Volotsky, who defended the right of monasteries to own property.

Sergius of Radonezh reposed at a ripe old age, canonized in 1452. In addition to Trinity, Sergius founded several more monasteries, in particular the Annunciation in Kirzhach, where he appointed his disciple Roman as hegumen. Another student - Athanasius, he put at the head of the Vysotsky monastery in Serpukhov. Savva Storozhevsky became abbot in Zvenigorod (see the article on p. 18), and Sergius' nephew Theodore (later Bishop of Rostov) headed the Simonov Monastery in Moscow.

M the monastic movement was especially active in the North, the monks contributed to the development of new lands, brought civilization and culture to those places where previously it was deserted or where wild pagan tribes lived. One of the first ascetics who went to the North was Dimitry Prilutsky, founded in 1371, five miles from Vologda, in the bend of the river, Spaso-Prilutsky monastery. In 1397, two more disciples of Sergius, Cyril and Ferapont, came to the Vologda Territory, the first founded a monastery in the name of the Dormition of the Mother of God (Kirillo-Belozersky) on the shore of Lake Siversky (see the article on p. 16), the second - on the shore of Lake Borodaevsky Bogoroditse - Christmas (Ferapontov).

In the 15th century, the Cherepovets Resurrection Monastery appeared in Northern Rus', the Nikitsky Belozersky Monastery on the river. Sheksne, Blagoveshchensky Vorbozomsky, Trinity Pavlo-Obnorsky and others. The Solovetsky Monastery, founded in the 1420s, played a paramount role in the monastic colonization. Sts. Zosima and Savvaty. It played a leading role in the development of the White Sea region.

Miracle Monastery. Vintage postcard. Moscow

In the XIV century. the metropolitan in Rus' was Alexy, a native of the ancient boyar family of the Pleshcheevs, one of the most educated people of his time. He took tonsure at the Epiphany Monastery in Moscow and occupied the metropolitan see for 24 years. Being a wise politician, he retained his love for monastic life and contributed in every way to the establishment of monasteries, seeing in them a beneficial, moral influence on society. He founded a monastery in the Moscow Kremlin in the name of the Miracle of Michael the Archangel in Khonekh (Chudov Monastery).

Associated with him interesting story: around 1365, while in the Horde on state affairs, Metropolitan Alexy healed Taidula, the wife of Khan Dzhenibek, from blindness. For this, the khan gave him a part of the land of the Tatar courtyard in the Kremlin, where Alexy founded the monastery, which became the home monastery of the Russian metropolitans. The foundation of another monastery, Spaso-Andronikov, is also connected with the miracle. During the journey of Alexy to Constantinople, the ship got into a storm, but the metropolitan prayed before the icon of the Savior, and the ship miraculously escaped shipwreck. Alexy made a vow, returning to his homeland, to build a monastery. And so he did: on the banks of the Yauza, he founded a monastery in honor of the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands, and appointed Andronicus, a disciple of Sergius of Radonezh, as hegumen. Today this monastery is known as Spaso-Andronikov. Such monasteries are called "votive", that is, founded by vow.

Reconstruction of the appearance of Evdokia (Evfrosinya) of Moscow works by S. Nikitin

The founder of the convents was Evdokia, Princess of Moscow, wife of Dmitry Donskoy. After the Battle of Kulikovo, many women were widowed, and the princess founded two cloisters - Voznesenskaya in the Kremlin for dowager princesses and the Nativity monastery for widows from the common people. And it has become a tradition. Likewise in the 19th century. Margarita Tuchkova, the widow of the general, the hero of the war of 1812, having buried her husband, created a monastery on the Borodino field, where widows could live and pray for fallen soldiers and husbands.

Ascension Monastery founded in 1386. Moscow

R Russian monasteries were actively involved in civilizational activities (land development, farming, crafts), were centers of culture, but the main task of the monk remained spiritual achievement and prayer, “acquisition of the Holy Spirit,” as St. Seraphim of Sarov called it. The monks were called monks, as they chose a different way of life, different from the worldly one. Monasticism was also called the angelic rank - "an earthly angel and a heavenly person" spoke of a monk. Of course, not all monks were and are like that, but the monastic ideal in Rus' was always high, and the monastery was perceived as a spiritual oasis.

A. Vasnetsov. Monastery in Moscow Rus'. 1910s

Usually monasteries were built away from the hustle and bustle, most often outside the city limits, in a deserted place. They were surrounded by high walls, which rarely had a military-strategic value, with the exception of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, which withstood several sieges, and some other monasteries. The monastery walls mark the boundary between the spiritual and the mundane, behind them a person should feel protected from external storms and unrest, fenced off from the world. There is no bustle and haste in the monastery fence, people speak quietly, idle laughter is excluded here, empty conversations are forbidden, and even more so swear words. There should not be anything that would distract attention or seduce a person, on the contrary, everything should tune in to a high spiritual mood. Monasteries have always been a theological school not only for those who have chosen the monastic way of life, but also for the laity, who for centuries have been spiritually nourished in the monasteries by the elders.

Monk Robe: 1 - schema; 2 - mantle; 3 - kamilavka; 4 - hood; 5 - cassock

“Go learn from the monks,” said St. John Chrysostom in one of his conversations - these are the lamps shining all over the earth, these are the walls with which the cities themselves are protected and supported. For this they went into the desert, to teach you to despise the vanity of the world. They, like strong men, can enjoy silence even in the midst of a storm; and you, overwhelmed from all sides, need to calm down and at least take a little rest from the incessant tide of waves. So, go to them more often, so that, having been cleansed by their prayers and instructions from the filth that constantly attacks you, you can real life spend as much as possible better, and be honored with future blessings.

The activities of the abbots were not limited to concerns related to the improvement of the monastery. They were equally concerned about the arrangement and organization of monastic life. The beginning of these concerns was laid by the adoption of the Studian statute by hegumen Theodosius. In the future, the life of the monks was determined by the basic rules of the cenobitic monastery: everyone should have everything equal, simple and cheap, necessary, not superfluous, and not call anything their own.

Judging by the sources, everything in the monastery was done only with the blessing of the abbot, and was illuminated by prayer. Interesting for us in this regard is the Life of Theodosius of the Caves. It tells that “whenever the brethren of this monastery who want to cook, or bake bread, or do some other service, then it’s better to take a blessing from the abbot from them, then bow before the holy altar three times to the ground, you taco I will burn from the holy altar and from that I will ignite the fire. And when pouring water into the cauldron, say to the elder: “Bless, father!” And I say to him: “God bless you, brother!” And so their whole service is performed with a blessing. The Life of Theodosius of the Caves // Monuments of Literature of Ancient Rus': The Beginning of Russian Literature of the IX-beginning. 12th century M., 1978. S. 359. If any monk did something without a proper blessing, he was subjected to censure from the abbot and penance. Food cooked without blessing, Theodosius usually ordered to be thrown into the fire or into the river.

It should be emphasized that there were quite severe rules in the monastery. In the codes of rules and customs, the smallest facts of everyday life were regulated: how to sing, bow, read, stand in church, behave at a meal. Perhaps such a strict regulation of the internal routine was a necessary measure to combat the traits of solitary confinement preserved in the monastery, which took place, regardless of the new monastery charter.

The strictest obedience was prescribed, for the normal course of monastic life depended on it. A similar feature was noted by N. I. Kostomarov. He emphasized that “the main thing for monks is boundless obedience to the will of the abbot, obedience without any reflection. It was placed above all feats and exhaustion of the flesh, above prayers. Any alteration of the order of the abbot was declared a sin. Kostomarov N. I. Russian history in the biographies of its main figures: In 3 volumes. Rostov-on-Don, 1995. T. 1. P. 37. G. G. Proshin also paid attention to a similar feature of monastic life. In one of his works, he wrote that "fasting, prayer, renunciation of worldly temptations and obedience, obedience, obedience - the highest, most important duty and virtue - above fasting and prayer." Proshin GG The truth about Orthodox monasteries // Atheistic Readings. Sat. Art. M., 1988. S. 333.

Without the permission of the elder, none of the brethren could not only leave the monastery, but even begin new job or move from one place to another. The brethren were not allowed to keep anything of their own in the cells: neither food nor clothing (other than prescribed by the charter), nor any other property. It would seem a simple rule, but from the Life of Theodosius of the Caves it is clear how much effort the rector needed to keep this order inviolable.

Having gathered many monks, Theodosius in no way wanted to collect treasures in the monastery, but “without faith and hope, he bowed to God, as if he had no more hope for the estate.” And therefore, if Theodosius, bypassing the cells, found something like that, he ordered to throw things into the fire, “as if the enemy is a part of being and disobedience to sin,” and he himself gave instructions to the resisting monk in non-possession. Theodosius called on the brethren “the same, brethren, let’s be enough about our statutory clothes and about the brasne we’ll offer to the trapeza from the cellar, and in the cell from the sitsevs who don’t have anything, yes, with all our hearts and all thoughts, we bring our pure prayer to God.” Life of Theodosius of the Caves. S. 358.

Theodosius, apparently, rightly believed that the absence of any other property, except for that permitted by the charter, would free the thoughts of the monks from constant worries about it, would not make them want more. For, in the words of Christ, "Where your treasures are, there your hearts will be also." When you have nothing, then, therefore, there is nothing to constantly take care of, you are free from the corresponding duties and consequences associated with its possession. Theodosius, obviously, counted on the fact that in this regard the monks would show more zeal in church services. When there is no wealth, then there is no that thin thread that connects the monk with outside world, keeps him there, forcing him to rush about in his thoughts, constantly thinking about where it is better and what is better. When a person is devoid of inner restlessness and spiritually balanced, it is much easier for him to focus on one thing. In this case, at prayers, as the main occupation of any monk.

According to N. M. Nikolsky, “prayers are not an end in themselves: it is only a means to conquer the eight main human passions.” Nikolsky N. M. History of the Russian Church. M., 1985. S. 68. In addition, in the monastic charter there was a ban on "social property" stored in the cell. Based on the information contained in the sources, we can conclude that this clause of the charter was observed with all strictness only during the abbess of Theodosius and for some time after his death, until about the end of the 11th century.

This can be confirmed by two extremely contradictory references to monastic cells. We believe that they belong to different periods in the history of the monastery: one - directly to the time of the abbess of Theodosius (second half of the 11th century), the other - to the time of the abbess of his successors (first half of the 12th century). In general, there is practically no information that would speak about the situation in the cell, give a description of it, in the sources. Sometimes, however, there are separate and very laconic references related to this. Unfortunately, they are not exhaustive to create a complete picture, but, in the absence of any other data, we consider it appropriate to provide them. In our opinion, this will help to trace the evolution of monastic orders and rules, to identify the changes that have taken place in the life of the monastic brethren during the time of the abbess of Theodosius' successors.

An earlier, dating back to the end of the 11th century, is the mention of the cell of the monk Agapit, who was tonsured into a monastery under Anthony, that is, before 1073. According to the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon, in the cell of Agapit "and there was nothing more than a stealer in his cell." Kiev-Pechersk patericon // Monuments of literature of Ancient Rus': XII century. M., 1980. S. 522. Analyzing this phrase, we can make a number of assumptions. Such an assessment of the cell may indicate the monk's poverty or moderation, the absence of any luxury items in the cell environment. In other words, the situation was traditional for that time and, above all, traditional for the life of a monk, which in itself already assumed the absence of any extraneous property from a person who, having taken a monastic vow, thereby renounced the past. However, we have already mentioned above that Theodosius followed this very strictly.

Later, dating back to the beginning of the 12th century, there is a mention of the cell of the monk Aretha. Apparently, he came to the monastery already during the period of the abbess there of the successors of Theodosius. According to the same Kiev-Pechersk Patericon, Aref "has much wealth in his cell." There. S. 510. This was considered a particularly grave sin for a monk. I note that for this period in the monastery it was not an isolated case. Based on the foregoing, we conclude that after the death of Theodosius, his successors ceased to strictly observe the procedures established by the charter. A rather rapid erosion of the previously established norms of monastic life began. Apparently, the Keliot tradition began to spread again in the monastery. In the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon, money and riches are repeatedly mentioned, which the monks kept in their cells.

In the sources we also find references to the classes of the brethren in the cells. Basically, these are prayers, reading, singing "Psalms of David and needlework." In the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon, in the teaching of Bishop Simon to the monk Polycarp, the monk’s classes in the cell are mentioned: “For everything you do in the cell is no better: if you read the Psalter or eat ten psalms.” There. S. 476.

In addition to reading and singing psalms, performing prayers, many monks in their cells were engaged in copying books and binding them. We find a mention of this in the Life of Theodosius of the Caves. Nestor paints a rather idyllic picture for us: “There are many packs of great mind Nikon sitting and making books, and blissful mind will open that sitting one and foresee the thread of a hedgehog for the need of such a thing”, Life of Theodosius of the Caves. P. 390. “Hilarion was more and more smart to write books, this day and night writing books.” There. S. 394.

The statutory daily routine in the monastery, judging by the data of the Tale of Bygone Years, the Life of Theodosius of the Caves and the Kiev Caves Patericon, was painted with the greatest care literally by hours and minutes, from the moment of awakening to going to bed. Around midnight, the monastery morning began. The sexton went around the cells and raised the monks. Thus began the monk's long day. At the signal of the beat, everyone went to the temple, where the service of the midnight woman began, when in the church "the brethren perform midnight singing." There. S. 334. As a rule, after the completion of this service, the abbot or someone from the “elder brethren” followed. According to the Life of Theodosius of the Caves, the monk “and when he himself taught the brethren in the spiritual church with his words and commanded your packs to the great mind Nikon, as if he respected the teaching of the creation of the brethren, then and again the reverend of our father Stephen, the exiarch then I exist, after the yoke I exist of that monastery. There. S. 392. See also: Macarius. History of the Russian Church: In 3 books. M., 1995. Book. 2. S. 157. Apparently, this was the hegumen's concern for the moral and spiritual state of the monks.

After the teaching, the monks returned to their cells, but not to sleep. They carried out the so-called "cell rule", consisting of a certain number of prostrations and prayers. At about five in the morning, the monks were again called to the service, since “and this year was the morning singing ... and the nomarius beating the beat.” There. P.354. Having finished matins, the brethren dispersed to their cells. The Tale of Bygone Years notes that the monks "in the cells resting after matins." The Tale of Bygone Years // Monuments of Literature of Ancient Rus': The Beginning of Russian Literature IX - early. 12th century M., 1978. S. 240. Judging by the data of the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon, the cells were "far from the church." According to E. V. Romanenko, “such a layout was created intentionally, since the remoteness of the cells from the main monastic services gave the monks the opportunity to avoid temptation.” Romanenko E. V. Everyday life of a Russian medieval monastery. M., 2002. S. 75. After the liturgy - a service during which communion is performed, ? the monks went to the refectory. There is a mention of this in the Life of Theodosius of the Caves, which tells that "behold, according to the holy liturgy, those who go to the Lenten dinner." Life of Theodosius of the Caves. S. 366.

Then everyone dispersed for obedience, so that each monk was busy with some business. From the Life of Theodosius of the Caves, it follows that “whether weaving hooves and hoods and building other things by hand ... Others, in the fence, dig the earth for the sake of the plant.” There. S. 330. The Kiev-Pechersk patericon mentions Blessed Gregory, “I have a small fence, but the idea is to sow a potion and a fruitful tree.” Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. S. 532. Another monk, Spiridon, "better proshvura or firewood, or kneaded the dough." There. P. 586. Abbot Theodosius himself worked on an equal footing with everyone, regardless of his position in the monastery, and thus, by personal example, instilled in numerous brethren the skills of monastic collectivism. In the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon we find a mention that the abbot "sometimes carrying water, sometimes firewood, and thus he gave an image to all the brethren." There. P. 460. Theodosius, in addition, supervised all the construction work in the monastery, taking the most direct part in them, and also often “going out of the oven and with the bakers having fun spirits, mixing dough and baking bread.” Life of Theodosius of the Caves. S. 388.

When the hour of a new prayer came, the monks again "come together together to the church, singing for an hour, then perform the holy service." There. P. 330. A blow to the beater at about noon gathered the monks for dinner, "tasting little bread and still sharing their names with each other." There. The obediences continued until about two or three in the afternoon.

Thus, the monks spent most of the night and the whole morning in prayers and services, so the brethren were given midday time to rest. The "goalkeeper" locked the monastery gates immediately after dinner and did not let anyone into the monastery until vespers. The Life of Theodosius of the Caves mentions the order of the abbot to the doorkeeper: “After dinner, do not open the gates to anyone, and let no one enter the monastery again, until the evening wakes up, as if at noon the brethren of the night are honored for the sake of prayers and morning singing.” There. S. 338. A similar order of Theodosius was also dictated by the unwillingness that "as if in the year of noon the brethren would not leave the monastery." There. S. 340.

The monks again gathered in the temple at sunset. At this hour, it was time for a new service, Vespers, during which "in the church, like brethren, evening prayers are sung." There. P. 354. This took about an hour and a half. After the end of the service, the monks from the temple went to the refectory for dinner and again returned to the church for the so-called " general rule”, including the same bows and prayers. They dispersed to their cells at about seven in the evening. After Compline, the monks were forbidden to visit each other, even if only for a joint conversation. In any case, the Life of Theodosius of the Caves mentions the abbot's ban on such a pastime. Theodosius, instructing the brethren, said: “And do not come from cell to cell, and in your cell, let each of you pray to God.” There. P. 346. A letter from Simon, Bishop of Suzdal, to Polikarp, a Chernorite of Pechersk, among the discussions about the ideal, from Simon’s point of view, lifestyle of a “true” monk, contains a condemnation of night conversations: , the verb is not useful. Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. S. 480.

The Monk Theodosius had a custom to go around all the monastic cells every night, wanting to find out how the monks spend their time. “Whenever you hear someone praying, then, then, put in glorifying God about him, Whenever you hear someone talking, two or three who have come together in a compartment, the same one, hitting the door with your hand, so departing, announcing your arrival.” Life of Theodosius of the Caves. P. 336. In the morning he called the guilty for conversation, forgave the repentant, and imposed penances on others. During this period of time it was possible to sleep, because around midnight the “wake-up caller” passed again and a new day began. As you can see, no more than five to six hours were allotted for sleep. Although from the Life of Theodosius of the Caves it follows that "as if at noon, the brethren of the night will rest for the sake of prayers and morning singing." There. S. 338.

It should be noted that coming to church and participating in the general divine service was the strictest duty for all monks, without exception. It can be said that church worship was the basis of monastic life. A particularly important role was assigned to him in cenobitic monasteries, among which was the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery. It had a symbolic meaning, being a kind of embodiment of the idea that collective prayer is a better path to salvation than individual prayer. We find confirmation of this in the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon, in one of the "Words" of which it is emphasized that classes in the cell were of less importance than the cathedral service: , then not a single “Lord, have mercy” be likened to the assembly.” Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. S. 476. Obediences made up the bulk of a monk's day; the rest, free from obediences, was occupied by prayers, since the daily life of a monk acquires its true meaning only in prayer and worship.

Very little time was allotted for sleep, so the monks often slept right during the service. In the sources, there are quite often references to monks sleeping during the service. So, the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon notes that, while standing in the church during matins, some brother “having stood a little and relaxed his mind, pretend guilt to himself, what a waste, leaving the church, and walking faster and not returning to singing.” Other brothers steadfastly endured the time of the service, “strongly standing still in their singing, until I finish the morning drink, and then each one goes to his own cell.” There. S. 470.

It should be mentioned that some of the monks did not even seek to attend church. From the mention of the Tale of Bygone Years, it follows that one of the brethren named Isakius, possessed by demons, did not want to go to church, so the monks had to bring him to the temple by force for some time. The Tale of Bygone Years. P. 202. Sometimes in the sources one can find a mention of how not only a simple monk, but even the abbot himself was not present at the service. So, the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon mentions that by the beginning of the service “as if the abbot did not get up to eat”, it was conducted for him by a “demon”, who was recognized by one of the monks who were in the church. As you can see, if the abbot himself was not faithful to the monastic vows and duties imposed on him by this spiritual dignity, then what can we say about ordinary monks who, by and large, did not have enough experience monastic life.

Some monks "spent their lives in laziness and sins." Others were weak in their faith and, being "captured by the intrigues of demons", sometimes left the monastery. Although, during the tonsure, the future monks made a vow "to be in the monasteries until the last breath." Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. S. 524. Arbitrarily leaving the monastery gate meant breaking the vow given before God. Nevertheless, the Life of Theodosius of the Caves mentions that "because that one brother is weak, who often run away from the blessed monastery." Life of Theodosius of the Caves. S. 360. Here we find another example: “If someone from the holy flock has become weak, he has gone away from the monastery.” There. P. 356. Ever since the days of the abbess of Theodosius, a rule was fixed in the monastic charter, forbidding a monk to leave the monastery without the permission of the abbot. For the unauthorized departure from the monastery, the resisting monk was punished. A similar fate befell Mikhal Tobolkovich, who "went out after matins outside the monastery fence." Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. P. 472. Curious, in our opinion, here are various symbols and the messages that appeared to the monk "by the name of Matthew". Before Michal left, Matthew saw how “a large crowd was coming from the gate. And, looking up his eyes, and the form of a single demon, sitting on a pig and magnifying himself, and other districts of his current multitude. There.

In our opinion, such a vision is not accidental. A person who lived in the world, who saw all the diversity of life, becoming a monk, sharply fenced off from it. Closing in on himself, a person led a different way of life, so in his mind a comparison of the past and the present was inevitable. This comparison, like the recollection of a "past" life, led to a temptation that not everyone could successfully resist. “It is the desire for the worldly joys of life, and not the demon,” according to the just remark of L. A. Olshevskaya, “helps the monks jump over the monastery wall.” Olshevskaya L. A. Typological and textological analysis of lists and editions of the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon // Old Russian Patericon. M., 1999. S. 271. Thus, the vision that appeared to Matthew is nothing but a symbol expressing the temptation and spiritual weakness of the monk to fight him. Perhaps that is why departures from the monastery were so frequent, but despite this, “the abbot strictly instructed the departed monks”, instructing them in the “true faith”, convincing them that everything outside the monastery is corruptible, not eternal, sinful.

As a matter of fact, the monks, having taken the tonsure, did not strive for the exact observance of all the points of the "strict charter". A. S. Khoroshev wrote on this occasion that “under the monastic cassock the human heart was beating, and under the monastic detachment the temperament of a political fighter, a witty and bright publicist was often hidden.” Khoroshev A.S. Political history Russian canonization of the XI-XVI centuries. M., 1986. S. 40-41.

Many monks who entered the monastery kept a significant part of their property with them, and those who did not have - "grieved for it." For example, Erasmus, already mentioned by us, who gave all his property to the church, "spends his days in all negligence and wantonly." Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. S. 514. A monk named Arefa was "stingy and unmerciful." There. P. 510. Fyodor was tempted by the love of money: having found a treasure in his cave, he wanted to secretly leave the monastery, and, “having taken the gold and departed for another country.” There. S. 572. A similar way of life was led by one of the Chernorizians - the spiritual son of the elder Onesphorus, who "not truly imitating the life of that saint, a fasting person who is a lie and a chaste person, but in secret he eats and pia and lives foully." There. P. 484. From the Kievo-Pechersk patericon we learn that this monk labored in the monastery in the abbess of Pimen, that is, in the period approximately from 1132 to 1141.

Analyzing all of the above, we can conclude that by the middle of the XII century. in the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery, processes finally took shape that marked a departure from the strict provisions of the Studian Rule, which determined and regulated the norms of monastic life. The brethren began to neglect the former rules of monastic life, to deviate from them. The temptation of money-grubbing appeared, distorting spiritual ideas.

We find a hint of such a process in the “Praise of Theodosius of the Caves”, compiled by Nestor: “If we deviate from the path of the commandments of the Lord and do not correct the charter of your betrayed laziness.” There. P. 464. As you can see, the monks forgot not only the charter, but also the commandments of Christ, calling laziness one of the seven deadly sins. Another example from the same "Praise": "Raise up our mind, which has fallen to the ground in laziness." There. P. 468. With all the reverence with which the sources speak of the monks, they, in spite of the will of the authors, appear to be lazy people. Thus, we can talk about the so-called secularization of monastic life, about monks.

In our opinion, the monks were "spoiled" by money and valuables, the temptation of acquisitiveness began to lead to even greater forgetfulness of the covenants of labor and love. Thus, we can say that since the time of the abbess of Theodosius, the monastic way of life has significantly differed from the ideal that Bishop Simon of Vladimir and Suzdal described in his letter to Polycarp of the Caves. The connection with the world and secular society is further strengthened. The monks are becoming more and more interested in the earthly, moving away from the spiritual, since "as if they were worldly, I baked the commandments of the divine to correct." There. S. 458.

V. A. Zots wrote on this occasion that “the monks were engaged only in worldly affairs and spent their lives in all kinds of outrage.” Zots V. A. Orthodoxy and culture. Facts versus speculation. Kyiv, 1986. S. 88. In our opinion, the monastic composition of Kiev- Caves monastery the words of Bishop Simon: "From such heights into the depths of life for the fallen." Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. P. 494. In this connection, the instructions of Athanasius, given by him before the death of the rest of the brethren, become clear: “Have obedience in everything to the hegumen, and repent at all hours and pray to the Lord Jesus Christ, and bless his mother and the Monk Anthony and Theodosius. More than all things, these three things are the essence. There. S. 496.

Correlating rather disparate sources of information with each other, we came to the conclusion that in the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery, within the time period we have chosen for the study, two groups of monks can be conditionally distinguished: “They were before the law and by the law pleased God.” There. S. 486. We believe that the word "law" here, first of all, should mean the monastic charter. The first group includes the first disciples of Anthony and Theodosius, who carried the ideals of asceticism and actually brought them to life. In other words, they "walk the demon of vice along the paths of truth." There. S. 466. This group was characterized by strict observance of all norms and rules that existed in the monastery. The second group includes monks who came to the monastery at the end of the 11th - beginning of the 12th century. This was a new generation of ascetics who had not been trained in monastic life. This generation brought certain indulgences to the monastic way of life, to the fulfillment of monastic vows. Despite their stay in the monastery, the young monks were not firm in their desire to follow the path of salvation to the end. They are constantly captivated by temptations, which, judging by the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon, “our hearts shoot with various thoughts and divert us from God’s understanding and love, force us past the current and decay, and plunge us to the end in the depths of sin.” There. S. 464.

Under the influence of these and other factors, each of the inhabitants of the monastery developed their own idea of ​​love for their neighbor and the norms of Christian morality. In addition, the social heterogeneity of the brethren left a certain imprint on the life of the monastic community, which, of course, determined the peculiarities of the relationship between the monks, which had a huge impact on life together, forcing the monk in silence to patiently endure the oddities, shortcomings, sins, infirmities of each and every one. In addition, the internal struggle that the monk had to wage every moment with himself, with his impatience, indignation, his outbursts of anger, his exhaustion, had a certain effect. The problem of attitudes within the brethren was constantly touched upon by us, to one degree or another, when studying other aspects of daily monastic life. In our opinion, a more complete study of this problem, which is more controversial, is necessary.

The following statements can be found in the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon: “And everyone is in love, repenting to the elders, not daring to speak before them, but with great obedience and obedience, the elders also have love for the smaller ones, punishing them and comforting them, like a child your beloved. And if someone fell into some kind of sin, and I will comfort him and that one penance, I will divide any three or four, for great love. Such is the tower of divine love in that holy brethren, and humility and humility. There. pp. 468-470.

In our opinion, this is a somewhat idealized judgment that cannot be taken entirely on faith. In addition, it does not find confirmation among other sources of information regarding the relationship within the brethren, and is even refuted by them. Thus, we come to a contradiction, from which follows idealization, an exaggeration of reality, allowed by the author, designed, first of all, to exalt monasticism from the everyday environment, which is a model of another life, opposed in the minds of the rest of the world to existing reality.

Most likely, the authors of the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon wishful thinking. Although from sources, in particular, from the Life of Theodosius of the Caves and the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon, it is clear that Theodosius cared about this aspect of everyday life. In the mutual relations of the monks, Theodosius preached humility and humility, which were expressed in the fact that the monks, when meeting, “in diligence, bow down to each other to each other,” while holding “the hand of your hand on your knees and imate.” Life of Theodosius of the Caves. P. 392. The monk should not have succumbed to "quick anger", he should have endured "annoyance" from others. Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. S. 478.

Despite the existence of such mutual understanding in the monastic community, the image of a disgruntled and ambitious monk is quite common in the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon: "Give me the meek - and the morning is bright and angry, in the small silence - and the hegumen murmurs again and again." There. P. 476. It is possible that some moments and processes in the relationship of the brethren could be at the initial stage of the life of the monastery, but, obviously, over time they could change under the influence of new trends, one way or another affecting the monastery and its inhabitants in the process of historical development. As a result, the monks became lazy, careless, hypocritical, envious, evil and greedy.

In the Life of Theodosius of the Caves, we find a mention of how “because the packs were dirty tricks by the demon in the temple, the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe bread of the brethren is creating: sometimes flour is scattered, sometimes kvass is put on the building of bread spilling ahu and other many dirty tricks that create besha.” Life of Theodosius of the Caves. P. 336. We believe that here, through the author's invention, obvious human traits, real human relationships are discerned. Comparing the disparate fragments of sources, we can conclude that most of the brethren treated the sick, the poor and those who were previously rich, but reached poverty, with disdain. Obviously, such people did not find support and did not enjoy respect among others who were in the monastery. The monks showed their mercy towards each other, if their interests were taken into account, if this spiritual impulse was rewarded.

In this regard, it is appropriate to recall the fragment from the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon already cited above that everyone tries to serve the rich both in life and in death in order to receive something as an inheritance. Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. P. 496. This was precisely the manifestation of monastic greed, which is so inconsistent with the norms of Christian morality.

Speaking of relationships within the brethren, one should emphasize their constant variability: from love, humility and respect for each other, to open enmity, neglect, foul language and hatred. Thus, despite the adoption of the Studian cenobitic statute, in the Kiev-Pechersk monastery the dormitory, as Feodosius originally saw the monastery, did not exist as such, because wealth and poverty, sincere asceticism and by no means Christian greed coexisted side by side.

The great feats of some were accomplished against the backdrop of the weakness and self-will of others, many of whom “live in carelessness, spend your days in all negligence and wantonly”. There. P. 508. B. A. Romanov believed that “difficulties in the monastery arose because of the complex social composition and environment of the monastery.” Romanov B. A. People and customs of Ancient Rus'. Historical and everyday essays of the XI-XII centuries. M., 1966. S. 157. In our opinion, confirmation of the above judgment is a small fragment from the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon from the “Word” about Lavrenty the Recluse, according to which a demoniac, when approaching the monastery, began to yell that “in the monasteries of the Thirty I’m afraid of one thing, but I’m fighting with the others ... Be bo then all the Chernorizets in the cave 100 and 80. Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. S. 520. Thus, at the end of the 11th - beginning of the 12th century, that is, in the days of the abbess of Nikon or his successor John, only thirty monks from the brethren led a truly monastic lifestyle, while the rest imitated him, being subject to various weaknesses, were constantly in the power of temptation.

Pop Titus lived in hatred and enmity with the deacon Evagrius, although they were "two brothers in spirit... The name of love is great and unfeigned among themselves... But one day the devil will create enmity and hatred for them." There. S. 512. Theophilus, succumbing to anger, did not deserve death without repentance. Erasmus, who gave all his property to the church, began to "live in all negligence and wantonly." There. P. 508. Monk Aref "do not be stingy and unmerciful, and never give a single qat to the wretched." There. P. 510. Fedor, tempted by the love of money, wanted to "take gold and go to another country." There. P. 574. They could not agree with a strict life in poverty and poverty, and in the monastery they continued to engage in ordinary worldly affairs.

There were cases of theft in the monastery. The prerequisites for this were largely created by the social heterogeneity of the brethren. I. W. Budovnits noted that “some monks kept their property with them, while others, having no means of their own, were subjected to a strong temptation to appropriate, in a certain sense, the acquisitions of others. Some were just stealing." Budovnits I. U. Monasteries in Rus' and the struggle of peasants against them in the XIV-XVI centuries. M., 1966. S. 108-109. Moreover, they not only stole from each other, but also robbed the monastery. There are several references to this in the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. One of them says that “someone from the brethren secretly stole bread” Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. S. 556. from Prokhor, a Chernorizian, who prepared it from quinoa. Another case of theft, described in the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon, occurred with the knowledge of the abbot, who "commanded another brother to do this: take bread in secret." There. Another mention already speaks of the Chernorizians who robbed the monastery. I note that such deeds did not go unpunished, but, Chernorizians, “the former was exposed, and from all things fell away, and the expulsion was quick from the monastery of Pechersky”. There. S. 594.

Thus, with the exception of a few individuals who were given from above to achieve the highest monastic ideal, except for the poor, weak in spirit and body, incapable of working in society, the monastery was filled mainly with people who imagined something about themselves that did not exist in reality. deed. This is how you can characterize almost the entire monastic brethren, which consisted of one hundred and eighty people, except for those thirty monks who nevertheless led a truly monastic lifestyle.

In general, monasticism social group, carried in itself thousands of iconic symbols that reflected the main thing in their life - the ideal of poverty, humility, humility. In addition to prayers, church services and obediences, clothing and food were no less significant features of everyday life and monastic life. To a simple layman, the appearance of a monk must have seemed very strange.

In the words of G. G. Proshin, “clothing, of course, does not make a monk, but the robes of monasticism, like any uniform, are designed to demonstrate to the world and educate in the monk himself certain life values, a certain worldview.” Proshin G. G. The Black Army. Russian Orthodox monastery: Legend and true story. M., 1988. S. 254. In the monastery, as a rule, everyone wore the same and the simplest clothes. The monks received everything necessary for life from the general funds of the monastery. Complete Orthodox Theological Dictionary. M., 1992. T. 2. S. 252.

The sources mention various fragments of the monastic costume. These scattered descriptions give us the opportunity to form a certain idea about the features of monastic clothing. Such church historians as Macarius and M. V. Tolstoy noted that “the brethren of the monastery were divided into four “classes”. Some were not yet tonsured and walked around in worldly clothes; others, although they were not tonsured, went about in monastic clothes; still others were already tonsured and wore a mantle; the fourth were dressed in the great schema. It was, as it were, the four degrees of monastic life. Macarius. History of the Russian Church: In 3 books. M., 1995. Book. 2. P. 157. See also: Tolstoy M. V. Stories on the history of the Russian church. M., 1991. S. 250.

An indication of such a division of the brethren into four "classes" is found in the Life of Theodosius of the Caves. It follows from it that if someone came to Theodosius, wishing to become a monk, then he “not tonsured him the same way, but commanded him to walk in his clothes, until they got used to all the habits of the monastery. Tache still expose and in the Mnish clothes and taco packs in all services to tempt and, then, sheared, and vests and in the mantle (small schema - N.V.). As long as you continue to be rich, you will be proficient in life, clean the city, then vouchsafe and accept the holy schema (usually after four years - N.V.) ”. Life of Theodosius of the Caves. S. 334.

This fragment from the Life of Theodosius of the Caves allows us to get an idea about the rules for admission to the monastery and about the rite of tonsure itself. I note that the whole ceremony of tonsure was very symbolic. Firstly, during the tonsure, the monk put on special clothes, provided for in such a case. In the Kiev-Pechersk patericon, in the “Word” about the tonsure of Pimen, such attributes of her as “retinue, mantle and cockle” are mentioned. Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. S. 598. Secondly, another indispensable attribute of tonsure was the Euangelie. There. And, thirdly, during the very ceremony of tonsure, the monk was asked appropriate questions, the nature of which speaks of the striving of the tonsurers to make sure of the firmness of the desire of the monk to become a monk. According to the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon, during the rite of tonsure Pimen “began to ask questions: “What come, brother, fall down to this holy altar and to this holy squad? Would you like to be vouchsafed to the great angelic image of Mnish? And the rest, all in a row, created, as it is written, also tonsured him into a great image. There. S. 600.

Judging by the few descriptions of the sources, the clothes of the monks were very simple, devoid of any external attractiveness, decorations, or elegance. It was made from the simplest and cheapest fabrics.

In the Kievo-Pechersk patericon and the Life of Theodosius of the Caves, the poverty and dilapidation of monastic attire are repeatedly emphasized. Patericon mentions that the monks walked "in these worn rags." There. S. 505. The Life of Theodosius of the Caves contains a mention that the clothes of the abbot “were thin and splatten, ... and being like one from the poor”, The Life of Theodosius of the Caves. S. 300. and many foolish "about this thin clothes I scold him, reproaching him." There. S. 344.

As you can see, the sources strongly emphasize the dilapidation and poverty of monastic attire. In our opinion, this is a completely natural phenomenon, since, having gone to the monastery, a person renounced all worldly blessings, thinking only about saving his soul, and for this it is not necessary to “decorate with red robes”, Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. S. 506. so as not to fall into temptation.

An interesting point of view on the unpretentiousness of monastic attire was expressed by V. N. Toporov. He “compared the “patched rags” of the monks and the “thin robes of Jesus Christ” as a symbol of rejection of the socially prestigious, as a symbol of humility and “piety”. It is “thin clothing”, according to V. N. Toporov, that becomes a sign of a spiritual choice, a new morality.” Toporov VN Holiness and saints in Russian spiritual culture. M., 1995. S. 656-657. V. V. Dolgov also pointed out that “a suit for a medieval person had great importance, and was directly related to the social status of a person. The dressing of a novice during tonsure in special clothes symbolized the renunciation of his former state and indicated a change in it. social status". Dolgov V. V. Essays on history public consciousness Ancient Rus' XI-XIII centuries. Izhevsk, 1999, p. 119.

In addition to numerous references to the poverty of monastic attire, the sources quite often mention "black robes". Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. S. 504. Obviously, they can be regarded as a kind of mystical analogue of a military uniform, for monasticism is the army of Christ. Judging by the data of the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon, dressing in black robes was supposed to save the monk from torment, from the desire to create non-spiritual things, from thoughts about earthly things and finally strengthen him on the path of spiritual perfection. After the novice took vows, giving vows of monastic life, he put on clothes of a different kind, testifying to this. In addition to the already listed attributes of the monastic costume, one should also name the “coarse retinue” and the “sackcloth”. I note that the hair shirt was not an obligatory attribute of monastic clothing, and the monks wore it at their own request, although in the Kiev Caves Patericon there are quite often references to the fact that this or that monk put on a hair shirt. Judging by the Life of Theodosius of the Caves, the sackcloth was made of "prickly wool" and was worn on a naked body. Over the sackcloth they wore either a “retinue of a Volotian”, The Tale of Bygone Years. S. 208. or "retinue tight." Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. S. 610. On their heads, the monks wore either a hood, which is referred to in the sources as a “helmet of salvation”, The Life of Theodosius of the Caves. C. 326. or cockle - a pointed hood, deafly covering the head and shoulders. The monk was shod in sandals or shoes.

In addition to written sources, the icon of Our Lady of Svenska (Pecherskaya) gives us certain ideas about the robes of monks. On the icon, in addition to the Mother of God with the baby Christ, the founders of the Kiev-Pechersk monastery Anthony and Theodosius are depicted. Icon for a long time dated to the end of the thirteenth century. In the 80-90s of the XX century. Studies have appeared in which the icon is rather convincingly dated to the end of the 12th century. Ovchinnikov A. N. “Panteleimon” from the Pushkin Museum and “Our Lady of the Caves” from the State Tretyakov Gallery in the light of restoration research // Russian Art of the XI-XIII centuries. Sat. Art. M., 1986. S. 46-60. See also: Rozanova N.V. Some results of the study of ancient Russian icons by physical methods // Ibid. pp. 166-178. This iconographic image is of great value to us, since it allows us to draw certain conclusions about the appearance of the monks, based not only on the author's assumptions and brief characteristics of written sources. Having carefully studied the icon, we were once again convinced that the monks were indeed dressed in "black robes", very simple and inexpensive. In addition, from the analysis of the images of Anthony and Theodosius, we can conclude that the clothes were not the same for all the monks. This circumstance, in turn, may indicate the existence in the monastery of peculiar stages of monastic life: from a simple novice to a great schema. The fact that Anthony was dressed in a great schema is evidenced by such attributes of his monastic attire as a shirt, mantle, cockle. As for Theodosius, he was most likely a monk of little schema, since, judging by the image, he was tonsured and dressed in a mantle.

All elements of the monastic costume are deeply symbolic. For example, the mantle - a sleeveless cloak that covers the entire figure - is a symbol of the fact that the monk is separated from the world. Another example is hair shirt. E. V. Romanenko calls the sackcloth “the heaviest weapon in the spiritual battle.” In my own way appearance it looked like chain mail knitted from prickly wool. They put on a hair shirt directly on the naked body, under a scroll, to tame the flesh. Romanenko E.V. Everyday life of a Russian medieval monastery. P. 285. L.P. Karsavin noted that “the sackcloth was made from goat hair. In the minds of a medieval man, the goat symbolized voluptuousness, therefore, the sackcloth fully corresponded to its purpose, being a homeopathic means of humility of the flesh. Karsavin L.P. Monasticism in the Middle Ages. M., 1992. S. 165.

Even the black color of the monastic robe was a sign of humility and sadness, a sign of renunciation of the world. Dressed in black robes, the monk seemed to be dying for the world, for the sake of saving the soul and serving God. The clothes were distinguished by their unusualness, some gloominess, thereby emphasizing the “otherness” of monastic life. For a simple layman, a person dressed in a special way was somehow special, not of this world. Therefore, the sight of a monk dressed from head to toe in all black could inspire him with a certain superstitious fear, which is mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years, and has already been cited by us above. It must be admitted that dressed in miserable black clothes, with a careless look, a sad and downcast gaze, the monk looked peculiar.

The monastery food was also very simple. Even when the monks lived in a cave, that is, until 1062, “yid their be ryzhan bread tkmo, water. On Saturday, ty in the week, juicing to eat; many times, and on those days, I didn’t find juicy, the potion having cooked one and then the poison. The Life of Theodosius of the Caves S. 330. Over time, food became more varied. Although monastic food, according to the charter, was supposed to be simple and inexpensive. The food was quite varied and very useful. Moreover, it was necessarily taken into account that not everyone can eat the same thing, because “Ovi byahu fasting, ... and eat bread and water, and the other potion is boiled, but the friends are harsh.” Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. S. 468. For example, "Damian presbyter, unless he eats nothing of bread and water until the day of his death." There. S. 470.

Judging by the numerous mentions of sources, the basis of the monastic daily diet was "a harsh potion and dry bread", Ibid. P. 500 There. P. 476. Prokhor-Chernorizet "wouldn't you taste bread, except for prosphora, no vegetables, no food, just loboda and water." There. S. 555. This can be regarded as a special kind of asceticism. Even Theodosius himself "food is dry bread and the potion is boiled without oil and drinking water - behold, his food is always." Life of Theodosius of the Caves S. 362.

As usual, for dinner in the monastery they served “bread, juice and a few fish”. There. P. 356. True, sometimes the monks were offered for a meal "cook the wheat, eat that, eat it." There. S. 360. The monks drank, as usual, water or kvass. Honey, stored in the monastery cellars, was usually treated to high-ranking guests who visited the monastery: the prince and his companions, Ibid. S. 412. It was served to the monks only on major holidays. Wine, as a rule, was intended for church services and divine liturgies. There are no references that the monks drink wine in the sources.

Various church holidays also made their own adjustments to the usual monastic diet. According to the Tale of Bygone Years, "Lenten time cleanses the mind of a person." The Tale of Bygone Years. P. 198. Fasting should have been carried out “in night and day prayers, to be guarded from filthy thoughts, from demonic infestations. And to this abstinence have a lot of brashn; in eating for a lot and drinking immeasurably. There. P. 196. During the first week of Lent, fasting was especially strict. Theodosius did not demand anything beyond measure, since "God does not want to bask in the power of fasting or labor", Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. P. 500. therefore, on Friday of this week, according to the Life of Theodosius of the Caves, it was customary for him to offer the brethren “clean bread very much, and friends from them with honey and do your best.” Life of Theodosius of the Caves S. 364.

Thus, we can say that the monastic life had its own characteristics. It was characterized by the existence of rather severe orders. The main occupations of the monks were church services, prayers and various obediences. Everything in the monastery had to be done at a strictly defined time. Everything that surrounded the monk, filled his daily life, was deeply symbolic and reflected the main thing: poverty and humility.

Murom Spaso-Preobra convent("Spassky on Bor") - monastery located in the city of Murom, on the left bank of the Oka River. The oldest monastic monastery in Rus' was founded by Prince Gleb (the first Russian saint, the son of the Great Baptist of Rus' Kyiv prince Vladimir). Having received the city of Murom as his inheritance, the holy prince founded the princely court higher up the Oka, on a steep bank overgrown with forests. Here he built a temple in the name of the All-Merciful Savior, and then a monastic monastery.

The monastery is mentioned by chronicle sources before all other monasteries on the territory of Russia and appears in the "Tale of Bygone Years" under 1096 in connection with the death of Prince Izyaslav Vladimirovich under the walls of Murom.

Many saints stayed within the walls of the monastery: St. Basil, Bishop of Ryazan and Murom, Holy Princes Peter and Fevronia, Miracle Workers of Murom, St. Seraphim of Sarov visited his companion, the holy elder of the Spassky monastery, Anthony Groshovnik.

One page of the history of the monastery is connected with Tsar Ivan the Terrible. In 1552 Grozny went to Kazan. One of the paths of his rati lay through Murom. In Murom, the tsar arranged a review of his army: from the high left bank, he watched how the warriors crossed to the right bank of the Oka. There Ivan the Terrible made a vow: if he takes Kazan, he will erect a stone temple in Murom. And he kept his word. By his decree, in 1555, the Spassky Cathedral of the monastery was erected in the city. The emperor donated church utensils, vestments, icons and books to the new church. In the second half of the 17th century, the second warm stone Church of the Intercession was built in the monastery.

The reign of Catherine the Great did not have the best effect on the life of the monastery - she issued a Decree, according to which the monasteries were deprived of property and land plots. But Spaso-Preobrazhensky survived. In 1878, the rector Archimandrite Anthony brought an icon to the monastery from Mount Athos. Mother of God"Quick listener". Since then, it has become the main Shrine of the monastery.

After the revolution of 1917, the reason for the closure of the Transfiguration Monastery was the accusation of its rector, Bishop Mitrofan (Zagorsky) of Murom, of complicity in the uprising that took place in Murom on July 8-9, 1918. From January 1929, the Spassky Monastery was occupied by the military and partly by the NKVD department, at the same time the destruction of the monastery necropolis began, and civilians were denied access to its territory.

In the spring of 1995, military unit No. 22165 left the premises of the Spassky Monastery. Hieromonk Kirill (Epifanov) was appointed viceroy of the reviving monastery, who was met with complete devastation in the ancient monastery. In 2000-2009 the monastery was overhauled with the support of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation.

The title of historian is great and responsible. We know Herodotus, and Plutarch, and Tacitus, and N.M. Karamzin. But for Russian history there is no higher authority, no higher name than the monk (c. 1056-114) - a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, father of Russian history.

November 9 Memorial Day of the chronicler Nestor is celebrated. The years of his life fell on the XI century. For him, literally recently, in 988, the waters of the Dnieper received the baptized people of Kiev, witnesses of this miracle were still alive. But civil strife, attacks by external enemies have already overtaken Rus'. The descendants of Prince Vladimir could not or did not want to be united, with each decade internecine strife among the princes increased.

Scientist Monk Nestor

Who was the Monk Nestor? Tradition says that, being a seventeen-year-old boy, he came to the monastery to the holy elder Theodosius of the Caves(c. 1008–May 3, 1074), where he accepted monastic dignity. There is no doubt that Nestor came to the monastery already quite literate and even, according to the level of that time, an educated young man. By that time, there were many teachers in Kyiv, from whom Nestor could study.

At that time, according to the Monk Nestor

blacks, like luminaries, shone in Rus'. Some were strong mentors, others were firm in vigil or in kneeling prayer; others fasted every other day and two days later, others ate only bread and water; others boiled potion, others - only raw.

Everyone was in love: the younger ones obeyed the elders, not daring to speak before them, and showed humility and obedience; and the elders showed love to the younger ones, instructed and consoled them, like fathers of small children. If any brother fell into any sin, they consoled him and, out of great love, divided the penance into two and three. Such was mutual love, with strict abstinence.

And the days of the monk Nestor were indistinguishable from the days of other Chernorizians. Only his obedience was different: with the blessing of the rector Theodosius of the Caves wrote the history of Rus'. In his literary works, the chronicler calls himself " sinful», « cursed», « unworthy servant of God". In these assessments of oneself, humility and God-fearing are manifested: a person who has reached such heights of humility sees the smallest sins in his soul. To imagine the spiritual level of the saints, it is enough to delve into the following saying: The saints mistook for sin the shadow of the thought of sin”, even the slightest thought, and often even mourned their virtues as sins.

The first literary works of Nestor the Chronicler

The first in time was the work of Nestor " The life of the holy princes Boris and Gleb, in holy baptism named Roman and Davyd". It contains high prayerfulness, accuracy of description, moralizing. Nestor speaks of the creation of man, his fall and his rise by the grace of God. In the words of the chronicler one can see a heavy sadness that the Christian faith is slowly spreading in Rus'. Nestor writes:

While Christians multiplied everywhere and idol altars were abolished, the Russian country remained in its former idol charm, because it did not hear a word from anyone about our Lord Jesus Christ; no apostles came to us and no one preached the word of God.

The second, and no less interesting and significant work of the chronicler - " Life of St. Theodosius of the Caves". Nestor, as a very young novice, saw Saint Theodosius, then, many years later, he participated in the uncovering of the relics of the monk, and now he compiled his biography. It is written simply and inspirationally.

My goal, - writes Nestor, - so that the future Chernorizians, reading the life of the saint and seeing his valor, glorified God, glorified the saint of God and strengthened for the feat, especially by the fact that such a man and saint of God appeared in the Russian country.

Nestor's Chronicle "The Tale of Bygone Years"

The main feat of the life of the Monk Nestor was the compilation by the years 1112-1113 "The Tale of Bygone Years". An unusually wide range of sources, comprehended from a single, ecclesiastical point of view, allowed the Monk Nestor to write the history of Rus' as an integral part of world history, the history of the salvation of the human race. " Tale of Bygone Years”came down to us as part of later codes:

1. Laurentian Chronicle(1377)
2. First Novgorod Chronicle(XIV century) and
3. Ipatiev Chronicle(XV century).

It is assumed that Nestor used the material ancient vault(IX century), Code of Nikon(70s of the XI century) and Initial Code(1093–1095). The text clearly echoes the Byzantine chronicle. George Amartola. The authenticity and completeness of the writings of St. Nestor is such that historians resort to them to this day as the most important and reliable source of information about Ancient Rus'.

« Tale of Bygone Years"- the great creation of the father of Russian history.
Not temporary, but temporary years, covering not some small period, but huge years of Russian life, an entire era. It is called in its entirety as follows: “Behold the tales of the time years, where did the Russian land come from, who in Kyiv began first to reign, and from where did the Russian land begin to eat».

History is comprehended by Nestor strictly from the Orthodox point of view. He talks about the saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius, shows the great happiness of the Baptism of Rus', the fruits of its enlightenment. Equal-to-the-Apostles Vladimir- the main character of "The Tale of Bygone Years" by Nestor. The chronicler compares it with John the Baptist. The exploits and life of the prince are depicted in detail and with love. The spiritual depth, historical fidelity and patriotism of The Tale of Bygone Years place it among the highest creations of world literature.

Chronicle of Nestor Tale of Bygone Years” cannot be called pure history, church or civil chronicle. It is also the history of the Russian people, the Russian nation, a reflection on the origins of the Russian consciousness, the Russian perception of the world, the fate and attitude of a person of that time. It was not a simple enumeration of bright events or a familiar European biography, but a deep reflection on the place in the world of a new young people - the Russians. Where are we from? What are beautiful? How are we different from other nations?- these are the questions that confronted Nestor.

"The Tale of Bygone Years". Research

The first researcher of The Tale of Bygone Years was a Russian historian and geographer V. N. Tatishchev. The archaeographer managed to find out a lot of interesting things about the chronicle P. M. Stroev. He expressed a new view of The Tale of Bygone Years, as a collection of several earlier chronicles, and began to consider all the chronicles that have come down to us to be such collections.

Famous Russian philologist and historian of the late XIX-XX centuries. A. A. Shakhmatov put forward the version that each of the chronicles is a historical work with its own political position, dictated by the place and time of creation. He connected the history of the chronicle with the history of the whole country. The results of his research are presented in the works " Research on the most ancient Russian chronicle vaults"(1908) and" Tale of Bygone Years"(1916). According to Shakhmatov, Nestor wrote the first edition of The Tale of Bygone Years in the Kiev Caves Monastery in 1110-1112. The second edition was written by abbot Sylvester in the Kiev Vydubitsky Mikhailovsky Monastery in 1116. In 1118, the third edition of The Tale of Bygone Years was compiled on behalf, or even political order, of the Novgorod prince Mstislav I Vladimirovich.

Soviet researcher D. S. Likhachev assumed that in the 30-40s of the XI century, by order Yaroslav the Wise Oral folk historical traditions about the spread of Christianity were recorded. This cycle served as the future basis of the chronicle.

Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, creating your own chronicler Pimena in the drama Boris Godunov"(1824-1825, published in 1831), based on the character traits of the chronicler Nestor, striving for the truth, even if someone does not like it, not at all" does not decorate the writer».

The Monk Nestor survived the fire and destruction of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra in 1196. His last works are permeated with the thought of the unity of Rus', of uniting it with the Christian faith. The chronicler bequeathed to the Pechersk monks to continue the work of their whole lives. His successors in chronicle writing: Rev. Sylvester, hegumen Vydubitsky Kyiv Monastery; hegumen Moses, who extended the chronicle until 1200; hegumen Lawrence- the author of the famous Laurentian Chronicle of 1377. All of them refer to the Monk Nestor: for them he is the highest teacher - both as a writer and as a prayer book.

As modern scholars have established, the Monk Nestor died at the age of 65. Now the relics of the Monk Nestor are incorruptible in Near caves(Antoniev) Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. At the beginning of the 21st century Society of History Lovers at Kiev University» bound with silver to the shrine of the reverend.

To the attention of all lovers of Russian history
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Russian chronicle history is a monumental monument of ancient Russian book art, in terms of the scale and breadth of coverage of historical events, as well as in the form of presentation of the material. unparalleled in the world. The collection contains weather (by years) chronicles, stories, legends, lives of Russian chronicle history for four and a half centuries (XII-XVI centuries).

For more than 900 years, Russians have been drawing information about their history from the famous Tale of Bygone Years, exact date the spelling of which is still unknown. There is also much controversy about the authorship of this work.

A few words about myths and historical facts

Scientific postulates often change over time, but if in the field of physics, chemistry, biology or astronomy similar scientific revolutions based on the discovery of new facts, then history has been rewritten more than once to please the authorities or according to the dominant ideology. Fortunately, modern man has a lot of opportunities to independently find and compare facts relating to events that occurred many centuries and even millennia ago, as well as get acquainted with the point of view of scientists who do not adhere to traditional views. All of the above applies to such an important document for understanding the history of Russia as The Tale of Bygone Years, the year of creation and authorship of which is Lately questioned by some members of the scientific community.

"The Tale of Bygone Years": authorship

From the Tale of Bygone Years itself, one can only learn about its creator that at the end of the 11th century he lived in the Pechora Monastery. In particular, there is a record of the Polovtsian attack on this monastery in 1096, which was witnessed by the chronicler himself. In addition, the document mentions the death of Elder Jan, who helped write the historical work, and indicates that the death of this monk occurred in 1106, which means that at that time the person who made the record was alive.

Russian official science, including Soviet, since the time of Peter the Great believes that the author of the story "The Tale of Bygone Years" is the chronicler Nestor. The oldest historical document that refers to it is the famous one written in the 20s of the 15th century. This work includes in a separate chapter the text of The Tale of Bygone Years, which is preceded by a mention as its author of a certain black-bearer from the Pechersk Monastery. The name of Nestor is first found in the correspondence of the monk Polycarp of the Caves with Archimandrite Akindin. The same fact is confirmed by the "Life of St. Anthony", compiled on the basis of oral monastic traditions.

Nestor the Chronicler

The “official” author of the story “The Tale of Bygone Years” was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church, so you can read about him in the lives of the saints. From these sources we learn that the Monk Nestor was born in Kyiv in the 1050s. At the age of seventeen, he entered the Kiev Caves Monastery, where he was a novice of the Monk Theodosius. At a fairly young age, Nestor took the tonsure, and later he was ordained a hierodeacon. He spent his whole life in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra: here he wrote not only The Tale of Bygone Years, the year of creation of which is not known for certain, but also the famous lives of the holy princes Gleb and Boris, as well as a work telling about the first ascetics of his monastery. Church sources also indicate that Nestor, who had reached a ripe old age, died around 1114.

What does "The Tale of Bygone Years" tell about?

“The Tale of Bygone Years” is the history of our country, covering a huge time period, incredibly rich in various events. The manuscript begins with a story about one of which - Japheth - went to manage such lands as Armenia, Britain, Scythia, Dalmatia, Ionia, Illyria, Macedonia, Media, Cappadocia, Paphlagonia, Thessaly and others. The brothers began the construction of the Pillar of Babylon, but the angry Lord not only destroyed this structure, which personifies human pride, but also divided the people “into 70 and 2 nations”, among which were the Norics, the progenitors of the Slavs, descended from the sons of Japheth. Further, the Apostle Andrew is mentioned, who predicted that a Great City would appear on the banks of the Dnieper, which happened when Kyiv was founded with the brothers Shchek and Khoriv. Another important mention concerns the year 862, when “Chud, Slovene, Krivichi and all” went to the Varangians to call them to reign, and the three brothers Rurik, Truvor and Sineus with their families and close associates came at their call. Two of the alien boyars - Askold and Dir - asked to leave Novgorod for Tsargrad and, seeing Kyiv on the way, stayed there. Further, The Tale of Bygone Years, the year of the creation of which historians have yet to clarify, tells about the reign of Oleg and Igor and tells the story of the baptism of Rus'. The story ends with the events of 1117.

"The Tale of Bygone Years": the history of the study of this work

The Nestor Chronicle became known after Peter the Great in 1715 ordered a copy to be made from the Radzivilov list stored in the library of Koenigsberg. Documents have been preserved confirming that Jacob Bruce, a person remarkable in all respects, drew the attention of the tsar to this manuscript. He also handed over the transcription of the Radzivilov list into modern language, which was going to write the history of Russia. In addition, such well-known scientists as A. Shleptser, P. M. Stroev and A. A. Shakhmatov were engaged in the study of the story.

Chronicler Nestor. “The Tale of Bygone Years”: the opinion of A. A. Shakhmatov

A new look at The Tale of Bygone Years was proposed at the beginning of the 20th century. Its author was A. A. Shakhmatov, who proposed and substantiated “ new history” of this work. In particular, he argued that in 1039 in Kyiv, on the basis of Byzantine chronicles and local folklore, the Kiev code was created, which can be considered the oldest document of this kind in Rus'. Approximately at the same time in Novgorod it was written It was on the basis of these two works in 1073 that Nestor first created the first Kiev-Pechersk Code, then the second, and finally the Tale of Bygone Years.

Was The Tale of Bygone Years written by a Russian monk or a Scottish prince?

The last two decades have been rich in all sorts of historical sensations. However, in fairness, it must be said that some of them have not found scientific confirmation. For example, today there is an opinion that the Tale of Bygone Years, whose year of creation is known only approximately, was actually written not between 1110 and 1118, but six centuries later. In any case, even official historians admit that the Radzivilov list, that is, a copy of the manuscript, the authorship of which is attributed to Nestor, was made in the 15th century and then decorated with numerous miniatures. Moreover, Tatishchev wrote the “History of Russia” not even from him, but from a retelling of this work into the language of his day, the author of which, perhaps, was Jacob Bruce himself, the great-great-grandson of King Robert the First of Scotland. But this theory does not have any serious justification.

What is the main essence of Nestor's work

Experts who hold an unofficial view of the work attributed to Nestor the Chronicler believe that it was necessary to justify autocracy as the only form of government in Russia. Moreover, it was this manuscript that put an end to the question of the rejection of the "old gods", pointing to Christianity as the only correct religion. This was its main essence.

“The Tale of Bygone Years” is the only work that tells the canonical version of the baptism of Rus', all the rest simply refer to it. This alone should make one study it very closely. And yet it is the “Tale of Bygone Years”, the characteristic of which is now being questioned in official historiography, is the first source telling that the Russian sovereigns descended from the Rurikovich. For each historical work, the date of creation is very important. The Tale of Bygone Years, which is of exceptional importance for Russian historiography, does not have one. More precisely, on this moment there are no irrefutable facts that allow us to indicate even a specific year of its writing. And this means that new discoveries are ahead, which, perhaps, can shed light on some dark pages in the history of our country.