Nikolai Nikolaevich Vorobyov (future abbot Nikon) was born on May 22, 1894 into a peasant family in the Tver province.
Need, hunger and cold were his constant companions from the first years of his studies. After primary school, he entered the Real School, revealing remarkable and versatile abilities. Already in his early youth, he showed an extraordinary desire to search for the meaning of life and truth. At school, he eagerly rushed into the study of science, naively believing that the truth was hidden in them. And blind faith in science easily replaced his faith in God. However, Nikolai soon saw that empirical sciences in general do not deal with problems of knowledge of truth, eternity, and God; The question of the meaning of human life is not only not raised in them, but it does not follow from the nature of these sciences themselves. Realizing this, already in high school he, with all the fervor of his nature, began studying the history of philosophy, in which he achieved such great knowledge that his own teachers came to him to discuss various philosophical problems.
Nikolai’s thirst for knowledge was so great that often, literally left without a piece of bread, he used his last money to buy a book that interested him, which he could only read at night. At this time, he studied German and French in order to read the necessary literature in the originals. (Subsequently, even in old age, he sometimes asked to bring him some interesting book in these languages.)
The older Nikolai became, the more acutely he felt the meaninglessness of this life. Death is the destiny of everyone, no matter how one lives. There is no point in living for yourself, because you will die anyway. Live for others? But others are the same mortal “I”, the meaning of life of which, therefore, also does not exist. Why does a person live if nothing saves him or anyone else in the world from death?
Having lost faith in both science and philosophy, he entered the Psychoneurological Institute in Petrograd, hoping there to find an answer to the question about the essence of man. But here he was even more disappointed than in the real school. After finishing his first year, he left the institute. The final spiritual crisis has arrived.
One day in the summer of 1915, when Nikolai fell into a state close to complete despair, the thought of his childhood years of faith flashed through his mind like lightning: “What if there really is a God? He must open up!” And so Nikolai, an unbeliever, exclaimed from the entire depth of his being: “Lord, if You exist, then reveal yourself to me! I am not looking for You for any earthly, selfish purposes. I only need one thing: are You there, or are you not?” And... the Lord revealed himself.
"It is impossible to convey- Father said later, - that action of grace that convinces of the existence of God with force and evidence that does not leave the slightest doubt in a person. The Lord reveals himself the way, say, the sun suddenly shines after a dark cloud: you no longer doubt whether it was the sun or someone who lit a lantern. So the Lord revealed himself to me that I fell to the ground with the words: “Lord, glory to You, I thank You! Grant me all my life to serve You! Let all the sorrows, all the suffering that exists on earth come to me - grant me to survive everything, just not to fall away from You, not to lose You!”
So at some point a radical change in worldview took place, an incredible, obvious miracle occurred. But it was a natural, logical conclusion to the young man’s sincere, with all his strength, quest.
In 1917, Nikolai entered the Moscow Theological Academy. But a year later, classes at the Academy stopped. Then in Vyshny Volochok he teaches mathematics at a high school, from where he is fired for refusing to work on the first day of Easter. After this, Nikolai moved to Moscow and got a job as a psalm-reader in the Boris and Gleb Church, from where, together with the rector Feofan (Semenyako), who was elevated to the rank of bishop, he moved to Minsk. There, on March 23/April 5 (New Style), 1931, he took monastic vows and was given the name Nikon. Here Bishop Theophan ordains him to the rank of hierodeacon and hieromonk.
In 1933, on March 23, Nikon’s father was arrested and exiled to hard labor in Siberian camps for five years. Miraculously, he said, due to the counting of working days, he was released in 1937. Returning from the camp, he got a job in Vyshny Volochyok with a doctor he knew as a general servant, where he had to undergo another course in the hard science of patience, since the doctor’s wife Alexandra Efimovna and her sister Elena Efimovna, being ardent atheists, openly mocked the faith, the rank and monasticism of Father Nikon. But it all ended with the fact that they not only rejected their belief in atheism and became sincere Christians, but one of them even took secret monastic vows.
With the opening of churches, the priest began to serve as a priest. In 1944, the Bishop of Kaluga appointed him rector of the Annunciation Church in the city of Kozelsk, where he served until 1948. Here he lived in an apartment with some nuns and led an extremely ascetic lifestyle.
In 1948, Father Nikon was sent as rector to a parish that was poor at that time - to the city of Gzhatsk (now Gagarin) in the Smolensk region. Here he was elevated to the rank of abbot.
He loved to serve. In addition to Sundays, as was the case before him, he introduced the obligatory service of the Divine Liturgy on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. He performed divine services simply, restrainedly and naturally. Father Nikon forbade anyone to stand at the altar. On all Sundays and holidays he preached religiously. When he was appointed to Gzhatsk, local authorities were warned that an active preacher was coming to them, capable of greatly influencing the people. He spoke passionately, from the bottom of his heart. His main thoughts: the need to recognize one’s fallen state and repentance, for only this leads to saving humility, which in turn gives rise to Christian love for every person. The previously deserted temple soon began to fill with believers. He was a brave and smart man. Father Nikon did not allow anyone to sing at Zaprichastny at any concerts. He forbade some Cherubic, Mercy of the World and other chants, saying that this was demonization before God, and not prayer.
Hegumen Nikon died on September 7, 1963 and was buried behind the altar of the Ascension Cemetery Church, where he served for 15 years.
It is impossible not to note that many worshipers experienced that special atmosphere of peace and inner joy, which dissolved everyone’s sincere sorrow during the funeral Liturgy and funeral service for their beloved priest.
Hegumen Nikon bequeathed to preserve the faith by universally fulfilling the commandments of Christ and repentance, to avoid vanity that devastates the soul, and to constantly be guided in your spiritual life by the priceless creations of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov).
Nikon (Vorobiev)(-), abbot.In the world, Nikolai Nikolaevich Vorobyov, was born in the year in the village of Mikshino, Bezhetsk district, Tver province into a peasant family. He was the second child. In total, there were seven children in the family, all boys. In childhood, Kolya, it seems, was no different from his brothers, except perhaps for his special honesty, obedience to elders and amazing cordiality, pity for everyone. He retained these traits throughout his life.
A holy fool named Vanka the Small often appeared in their village and lived for a long time, whom Kolya’s parents willingly welcomed. And then one day, when the brothers were playing at home, the holy fool suddenly approached Kolya and, pointing at him, repeated several times: “This is a monk, a monk.” The words did not make any impression on the boy himself or those around him at that moment, but later, when Kolya, and only he alone of all the brothers, became a monk, they remembered this prediction.
His father managed to get Kolya into a real school in Vyshny Volochyok. And he studied brilliantly. From the very first years I discovered remarkable and versatile abilities. He had excellent mathematical talents and was an excellent stylist. He himself said more than once that it was always easy for him to write. When moving from class to class, he invariably received a 1st degree award (a certificate of merit and a book). He sang, played the viola, performed in an ensemble, and drew and sketched beautifully.
He received help from home only in primary school. When he decided to study further, there was nowhere to wait for help: his parents lived very poorly, and besides him there were four more sons who also needed education. Kolya did not give up his studies, but he had to continue it under conditions that would seem incredible to a modern person. Immediately after the compulsory lessons, he, still a boy, was forced to go give lessons himself or help his lagging but wealthy comrades. He was paid somewhat for this. After spending several hours there, he ran to the apartment (for which he had to pay) and began preparing his lessons. Difficulties increased when his brother Misha entered the same real school, and only he could help him. Need, hunger and cold were his constant companions while studying at school. In winter, he wore a light permanent coat and boots, even without insoles.
The family from which the priest came was Orthodox. Children were also raised in the faith. But this faith, like that of most ordinary people, was external, traditional, and did not have a solid spiritual foundation and a clear understanding of the essence of Christianity. Such a faith, at best, raised honest people, but, as it was received by tradition, without labor and search, and did not have personal experimental confirmation, it could easily be lost.
This is what happened to Nikolai. Having entered a real school, he eagerly rushed into the study of science, naively believing that the truth was hidden there. And his blind faith in science easily replaced his equally blind faith in God at that time. However, Kolya soon saw that empirical sciences in general do not deal with problems of knowledge of truth, eternity, and the existence of God; The question of the meaning of human life is not only not raised in them, but it does not follow from the nature of these sciences themselves. Seeing this, already in high school, with all the fervor of his nature, he began to study the history of philosophy, in which he achieved such great knowledge that his own teachers came to him to discuss various philosophical issues.
The thirst for knowledge was so great that he often, literally left without a piece of bread, bought a book with his last money. He could only read it at night. He sat at night, studying the history of philosophy, getting acquainted with classical literature - and all with one goal, with one thought: to find the truth, to find the meaning of life.
The older he became, the more acutely he felt the meaninglessness of this life. Death is the destiny of everyone, no matter how one lives. There is no point in living for myself, because I will die anyway. Live for others? But others are the same mortal “I”, the meaning of life of which, therefore, also does not exist. Why does a person live if nothing saves him or anyone else in the world from death?
Youth
Having lost faith in both science and philosophy, he enters the Psycho-Neurological Institute in Petrograd, hoping there to find an answer to the question of the essence of man. But here he was even more disappointed than in a real school: “I saw: psychology studies not a person at all, but “skin” - the speed of processes, apperceptions, memory... Such nonsense that it also pushed me away.”
After finishing his first year, he left the institute. The final spiritual crisis has arrived. The struggle was so difficult that the thought of suicide began to occur.
Appeal
Ten days before his death - August 28 of the year - with the last of his strength, the priest told his loved ones gathered at his bedside something about this part of his journey as "a psychological illustration of spiritual life from the lips of an already dying person - perhaps it will be useful":
“And there (in Sosnovitsy) I lived as an ascetic: I ate a piece of bread, a plate of empty cabbage soup. There were almost no potatoes then. And during this, so to speak, real ascetic life (now we can say everything) I was in prayer all day - I was in prayer and fasting. And it was then that I understood spiritual life, the inner state: the Lord revealed the action in the heart of prayer. I thought that the Lord would continue to settle me somewhere in the village, in some crumbling house , where I could continue the same life. I had half a palm’s worth of bread, enough, five potatoes (I’m already used to it) - that’s all.
The Lord did not arrange this. It seems, why not? But for me it’s clear. Because in the very depths of my soul an opinion about myself grew: this is how I live as an ascetic, I already understand heartfelt prayer. What is this concept? This is one billionth of what the Holy Fathers experienced. I am telling you so that you understand a little. And instead of such solitude, the Lord arranged it so that I fell into the very thick of it, into the vanity itself, so that I would wallow in it, realize that I myself was nothing, and would fall to the Lord and say: “Lord, Lord, what am I? Only You our Savior."
I learned that the Lord arranges it this way because a person needs to humble himself. Seems clear? But it turns out that this is not at all clear to humans. After that, he became a monk, was in the camp, returned and still brought back a high opinion.”
Clergy
19/I-1937, Komsomolsk-on-Amur
IDENTIFICATION
The bearer of this is Hieromonk Nikon, in the world Nikolai Nikolaevich Vorobyov, ... in the faith of fidelity to the covenants of the Holy Orthodox Church, he is firm, very well read in the word of God and patristic literature, and has a strictly Orthodox Christian life and way of thinking. He bore the cross of the camp bonds patiently, without despondency or sorrow, setting a good example with his life to everyone around him. With benefit for the Orthodox Church he can be used as a parish pastor and even as the closest faithful collaborator of the diocesan saint, which I certify.
Father, miraculously returning from the camp, settled down with a doctor in Vyshny Volochyok as a universal servant, where he had to take another course in the science of heroism and patience. The doctor's wife Alexandra Efimovna and her sister Elena Efimovna were convinced atheists. Neither in word nor in behavior did Father Nikon express a shadow of hostility or condemnation, as was later evidenced by the sisters themselves, who, under his influence, abandoned their faith in atheism and became Christians. And it was not the priest’s words that played the main role in this appeal: they were struck by his life, his courage, deepest humility and high nobility of soul.
Elena Efimovna, a doctor, even took monastic vows with the name Seraphima. She died unexpectedly this year. She was buried from the hospital solemnly, with music. And no one knew that under the pillow in the coffin lay a robe, paraman, and rosary. The priest said about her that she, having turned to God, repented like no one else in his priestly practice. It was a groan from the depths of the soul. In letters to his spiritual children, he asks to remember her, since she did a lot of good to him and others. The story of the second sister’s conversion is quite interesting, so we will present here an entry about it that Elena Efimovna made in her diary.
“May 30, 1940. Even after the death of my sister, Alexandra Efimovna, I had a desire to describe her illness and death, and what she partially revealed to us about herself. Let what I tell serve for the glory of God.
My sister was an unbeliever all her life. The sister's ideas about faith, God and religion were typical of an intellectual of her time. She was intolerant of everything related to religion, and her objections were often cynical. During these years, Nikolai Nikolaevich (Father Nikon) lived in our house. I always suffered from her tone and did not like it when Nikolai Nikolaevich touched on these issues. My sister’s favorite objection to all Nikolai Nikolaevich’s arguments were the words: “You can write anything, all books about the spiritual contain nothing but lies, which only paper can tolerate.”
She became hopelessly ill (stomach cancer) and did not stop mocking her faith, became very irritable, lost sleep, lost her appetite and went to bed. At first, her husband looked after the patient, but from sleepless nights he began to collapse. During the day he had a lot of work to do at the hospital. Then we introduced night duty with Nikolai Nikolaevich. She had a period of severe irritability, demandingness, she demanded something every minute. When it became difficult for her to strain her voice, Nikolai Nikolaevich ran an electric bell to her bedside. He sat in the sick room at night.
The wife of the patient’s eldest son, E.V., came from Leningrad, but she did not stay long. The patient told E.V. about her vision. She saw how seven elders, dressed in schema, entered the room. They surrounded her with love and goodwill and said: “Let her see the light through his prayers!” Nikolai Nikolaevich forbade speaking “with his prayers,” and E.V. claimed that the patient said exactly that. This phenomenon repeated several times.
Then the sick sister turned to N.N. with a request for confession and Communion.
She did not fast for forty years. Request from patient N.N. I did it myself and the visions stopped. A turning point took place in the patient’s soul: she became kind and gentle with everyone. She became affectionate. (This change greatly amazed her family and everyone who knew her.) N.N. said that after Communion she reasoned with him that if these were hallucinations, then why did they immediately stop after Communion of the Holy Mysteries and were repeated several times before? Her mind worked until her last breath. She said that if she recovered, her first trip would be to church, which she had not been to for forty years. Her consciousness was clear, and she thought a lot and said: “Every person must die in the faith of the fathers!”
The priest himself told this story, but he conveyed only the following words of the elders: “You have a priest in your house, turn to him.” Probably both words were said, but the priest kept silent about some, and E.V. forgot or the others were not given to her.
With the opening of churches, the priest began to serve as a priest. In the city, Bishop Vasily of Kaluga, he was appointed rector of the Annunciation Church in Kozelsk, where he served for up to a year.
Here he lived in an apartment with some nuns and led an extremely ascetic lifestyle. According to the recollections of many who communicated with him during this period, he was incredibly exhausted. Father spent all his free time reading the word of God, praying and studying the Holy Fathers. Father's sermons were always deeply spiritual and distinguished by their special strength and persuasiveness. This attracted believers to him.
The second priest of the temple was Father Rafail (Sheichenko), a former inhabitant of Optina Pustyn, who served 21 years in the camps. He was also, undoubtedly, a spiritual man, kind, gentle, a man of prayer, and had the gift of tears. People in Kozelsk still remember him with love and, sometimes, with tears. But the devil managed to quarrel between two worthy shepherds, as a result of which Father Nikon was temporarily banned from serving as bishop. Kaluga Onesiphorus, then restored. Subsequently, Father Nikon and Father Raphael completely reconciled, exchanging letters. In his letter, Father Nikon repents and blames himself. This is what he himself recalled about the period of service in the Annunciation Church:
“I began to serve as a priest. And the better I served, it seemed to me, the more somewhere in the depths my opinion about myself grew. The spiritual matter is not at all so simple. To know what is happening in the depths, you need to be very attentive and pray a lot to your personal prayer. So, at one time a thought came to me, perhaps from the enemy. I began to make a hundred prostrations in the evening with the Jesus Prayer, after the evening prayer - maybe until two o’clock, I did it. Now I’m already saying everything, not to brag, but so that you understand a little. And in the morning again, before the service, you had to make another hundred prostrations to the ground, get up at four o’clock and do it.
So what? Was it useful to me? The mothers saw it from the outside - they are curious people. But the Lord saw that I was doing the devil’s work, not God’s. And so I had a conflict with Father Raphael. And I was not only rewarded in some way, but expelled from the priesthood, banned from serving in the priesthood. Here is the judgment of God and the judgment of man. Of course, it was the power of God that drove me out, but it restored me again. But one could think that I suffered for some good deed, for my feat. And the Lord made it clear that there was demonic activity here, that there was vanity, an opinion about myself: look, I’m a priest, I serve all the time, when I come home, I do prayers, reading the Word of God, and even though I’m not young anymore, I’m soon 55 years old, I do one hundred bows in the evening, one hundred bows in the morning - with attention! This is such a complex spiritual matter.”
Father Nikon had spiritual communication with the elder-hieroschemamonk Meletius (Barmin) who lived in Kozelsk (November 12).
Father did not allow me to do any service for myself, bring anything, clean up, etc. With difficulty, groaning, but I did it myself, despite the fact that I was very sick. The four years spent in the camp greatly undermined his health. Most of all, he suffered from heart disease and rheumatism in the joints of his hands and feet. Nevertheless, he believed that unless absolutely necessary, using the services of another person was not good, it was sinful. He made himself responsible for some household and household chores: he stoked and cleaned the stove (the stove was heated with coal and was very inconvenient), processed fruit trees and shrubs, sawed and chopped wood, and dug the ground.
While the priest had strength, he worked hard physically. He worked until he sweated, until he was completely exhausted. He planted a huge garden in Vyshny Volochyok and two gardens in Kozelsk. In Gzhatsk he not only planted a large garden, but also supplied everyone in the city with apple trees, cherries, pears, etc. from his nursery. And there were many who wanted, especially since the priest gave everything for free. He carried out a lot of construction and repair work on temples.
Father also spoke with bitterness about those bishops who, disregarding neither the needs of the parishes nor the desires and opinions of the priests, often transfer them at will from place to place, thus destroying the parishes, multiplying the sorrows of the clergy and causing harm to the Church.
Father was different in relation to people. He spoke calmly to some, consoled others, and directly denounced others. In general, he was a man who did not know what people-pleasing was and really did not like flattering and crafty people. It was the latter who usually got the worst of it from him. He said that he who flatters is the one who desires to receive praise, and the most disgusting person is the evil one. Father never reprimanded those possessed by demons, fearing cheap popular rumor, which is always looking for miracle workers, seers, etc. He said that it doesn’t cost anything to become a “saint”: it’s enough to crawl on all fours around the temple, or with a significant air speak incomprehensible pious speeches, and especially if you start giving prosphora, antidor, artos, holy water with a “recipe” for their use in various everyday sorrows.
"The people, in their overwhelming majority,- the father mourned, - “he doesn’t know Christianity at all and is looking not for a way of salvation, not for eternal life, but for those who would help him “do” something in order to immediately get rid of this or that sorrow.” To people who came to him in a similar mood, he said: “If you don’t want sorrows, don’t sin, sincerely repent of your sins and untruths, don’t do evil to your neighbors either in deed, or in word, or even in thought, visit church more often, pray, treat your loved ones and neighbors with mercy, then the Lord will have mercy on you too , and if it is useful, then it will free you from sorrow.” Some, naturally, left the priest dissatisfied, because... he did not say what needed to be “done” so that the cow would give milk, or so that the husband would stop drinking, and he did not give them either prosphora or holy water for this.
Father behaved extremely simply. Often, when his younger brothers, nephews and others were playing gorodki, the priest would come up to them and help the lagging team. No one, even among the youth, could compete with him in the accuracy of throwing sticks. In a few strokes he rescued those lagging behind. Everyone was simply amazed how such precision was preserved in his old and sick hands. He could play chess well, but he almost never played it, calling it a demonic game that takes away a person’s precious time.
Demise
Father began to feel especially unwell in winter - gg. Gradually he began to weaken more and more, get tired more and more, and eat less. For more than two months before his death, he did not take any food, and before that for about a month he ate only milk and berries once a day, sometimes with white bread. But not once during his entire illness did he complain to anyone. No one saw despondency or sorrow in him. He was calm, focused and for the most part even had a slight smile on his face. Almost until his death he was on his feet. He finally fell ill only ten days before his death.
On the occasion of the Dormition of the Mother of God, I confessed my loved ones for the last time. When he himself could no longer get to the temple, he took communion several times at home. Until the day of his death, he was in full and clear consciousness and, with the last of his strength, instructed those around him. He bequeathed to preserve the faith by fulfilling the commandments and repentance in every possible way, and to adhere to the bishop in every possible way. Ignatius Brianchaninov, especially avoid vanity, which completely devastates the soul and leads it away from God.
To those mourning at his bedside he said:
“There is nothing to feel sorry for me. I must thank God that I have already completed my earthly journey. I never wanted to live, I did not see anything interesting in this life and I was always surprised how others find something in it and cling to it with all their might . Although I have not done anything good in my life, I have always sincerely strived for God. Therefore, I hope with all my soul for the mercy of God. The Lord cannot reject a person who has always strived for Him with all his might. I feel sorry for you. Something else awaits you "The living will envy the dead."
We didn't hear any complaints from him. - “Father, does it hurt?” - “No. It’s just that, sometimes the sensations are unpleasant.” We bought slippers for death. With a cheerful smile he tried it on: “These are good.” They made a cover for the coffin. He looked and found an error in the inscription. I saw how they carried the coffin for him, and was pleased that everything was ready.
When they asked the priest how and where to bury him, he replied: “It’s useless to talk, because they never do it.” But when one day his family, having already determined (secretly from him) a place for burial, came to his bed, he immediately asked them: “Well, did you find a place for me?” In general, during the period of his last illness, the priest repeatedly amazed those around him with his insight.
The funeral service was on September 9. Buried Fr. Nikon in Gzhatsk (now Gagarin).
In the minds of modern Orthodox Christians who sincerely seek their salvation, Hegumen Nikon has deservedly become one of the great teachers of repentance of recent times.
“This is my dying covenant: repent, consider yourselves, like the publican, sinners, beg for God’s mercy and have pity on each other.”
Video
Kindred soul. In memory of Abbot Nikon (Vorobiev). Film from the information agency of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, 2007. Prof. takes part in the film. A. I. Osipov.
Proceedings
- “Repentance is left to us,” letters to spiritual children
- Sermons
Used materials
- Biography of the abbot. Nikona (Vorobyova)
The Kaluga diocese was widowed at that time. Probably ow. Vasily is a bishop of another diocese, who temporarily ruled the Kaluga diocese.
Nikon Vorobyov - worldly name: Vorobyov Nikolai Nikolaevich - was born into a family of peasant workers, in the Tver province, in the village of Mikshino, in 1894.
As a child, Nikolai was in many ways like his brothers (there were seven sons in the Vorobyov family), although he stood out among them with a certain seriousness and kindness of character. Meanwhile, even in his childhood, God pointed to him as His future servant.
Their village was visited by the famous holy fool in the area, Vanka. Sometimes he stopped there and played with the children. One day Vanka approached Nikolai and addressed him as a monk. At that moment, few people paid attention to the words of the village simpleton, but over time they were destined to come true.
When Nikolai reached the right age, his father, through his efforts, got him into a real school, located in Vyshny Volochyok.
Here Nikolai proved himself to be a responsible student. Thanks to his talents and perseverance, even the most difficult disciplines were given to him. He was good at mathematics, drew, painted, sang, danced, and played the viola. And this did not go unnoticed by the management: during his studies, Nikolai received several certificates and certificates of merit.
Initially, his parents provided him with financial support as best they could. But subsequently, due to the need to pay for the brothers’ education, help was limited. Meanwhile, Nikolai did not despair. He did not give up his studies. On the contrary, after lessons he began to try on the role of a young teacher: obtaining funds to provide accommodation, food, training, he helped his rich comrades who were lagging behind.
When his brother, Mikhail, entered the same school, Nikolai took over his maintenance. It was difficult: he had to starve and freeze in the winter, but Nikolai did not think of retreating from his goal: to finish his education and help his brother.
Despite the fact that Nicholas’s family was Orthodox, his faith did not have sufficiently solid support. Plunging into science, he believed that this was where the main truth lay. Having grown up, he, like many of his peers, was puzzled by the meaning of life, and wanted to discover it in philosophy. It happened that he bought an interesting book with his last money, preferring it to a piece of bread. Over time, Nikolai achieved enviable success in this area. Sometimes even teachers consulted with him.
In the end, as he grew older, he convinced himself more and more that philosophy did not provide accurate answers to life’s most important questions: what is a person’s calling, why does he live, what awaits him beyond death?
Youth
The time of graduation from real school fell on 1914. Disillusioned with philosophy, Nikolai decided not to follow the path of a philosopher and entered the Petrograd Psycho-Neurological Institute.
After studying there for only one year, he became even more disappointed and left his studies. During this period, Nikolai experienced a severe psychological shock. The intensity of his mental crisis reached such depths that he even thought about suicide.
And so, remembering God, Nikolai resorted to the only right decision: he prayed to God, asking Him to open up. And God answered this prayer.
After the Revelation, a real moral turning point occurred in his soul. He was no longer interested in worldly hobbies. During this period, he devoted himself to prayer, attentive, thoughtful reading of the Gospel and the works of the holy fathers.
In 1917, Nikolai entered the Moscow Theological Academy. But due to revolutionary events and subsequent political changes in the country, training at the academy did not last long.
For some time he lived in solitude in Sosnovitsy and taught mathematics at school. Then, by the Providence of God, he ended up in Moscow, working as a psalm-reader in the Boris and Gleb Church.
Monastic feat
In 1931, in the city of Minsk, Nikolai took monastic vows and a new name - Nikon. Soon he was ordained a hierodeacon, and the next year he was ordained a hieromonk.
A zealous attitude towards God and an irreconcilable attitude towards the anti-church policies of government authorities attracted attention from the punitive authorities. In 1933, Father Nikon was arrested, convicted and sent for re-education to Siberia. He was released only in 1937.
Returning from the camp, he settled in Vyshny Volochyok and got a job as a servant in a doctor’s house. Here he had to go through another level of meekness. The fact is that the doctor’s wife and her sister, Elena Evfimovna, were firm atheists; sometimes they allowed themselves rude statements about believers and their religious feelings; Father Nikon had to put up with this. However, over time, the very image of his righteous life convinced the sisters to leave their faith in atheism and accept faith in Christ.
Elena Evfimovna, a doctor by profession, took her hair into an angelic image with the name Seraphim. When she died, her colleagues at the hospital saw her off solemnly, with music. But few people knew that in her coffin, under her pillow, lay a monastic robe and rosary.
After the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, with the opening of churches, Father Nikon began his priestly service. In 1944, Kaluga Bishop Vasily ordained him as rector of the Annunciation Church in the city of Kozelsk. Here Father Nikon served until 1948. During this period, he lived with local nuns, indulged in severe ascetic deeds, and preached a lot.
The second priest who served in this church was Father Rafail Sheichenko. Just like Father Nikon, he had firm religious beliefs, for which he suffered a lot in the camps. Despite the fact that the shepherds had much in common, the devil managed to quarrel between them, so much so that Father Nikon was banned from the priesthood by the Bishop of Kaluga. Subsequently, peace between the priests was restored and the ban was lifted.
In 1948, Father Nikon was assigned to the city of Belev, then to Efremov, then to Smolensk. From there he was sent to Gzhatsk, entrusting the leadership of a rather poor, poorly organized, run-down parish. He himself viewed this appointment as an exile.
At first, he experienced difficulties associated both with maintaining the parish and himself. All his personal property consisted of simple clothes and a few aluminum appliances. He himself treated this evenly and calmly, believing that excessive “wealth” prevented the monk from soaring in spirit.
Father Nikon also showed appropriate severity in relation to divine services. He served simply, without pretentiousness, and demanded the same from others. They say that one day he interrupted the reading of the Six Psalms when the reader, carried away by theatricality, began to show an artistic disposition to the audience. As a result, another reader finished reading the Six Psalms.
At the same time, he struggled with the practice of overly hasty reading, for which the psalmists took offense at him.
The priest paid particular attention to how and what the parishioners repented of. He resolutely opposed a formal attitude to the Sacrament of Confession. In this regard, he more than once condemned even (some) clergy, arguing that they replaced the Sacrament of Repentance with the rite of “absolution from sins.”
While showing appropriate, fair demands on his subordinates, he was also strict on himself. I went to bed late and got up early. In his free time, he prayed, did physical labor (in particular, tending the garden), and read a lot. Despite the painful condition associated with the camp past, he did not allow him to provide personal services around the house or household, he tried to do everything himself.
In 1956, Father Nikon was awarded the title of abbot.
At the end of 1962, his health seriously deteriorated. Subsequently, he grew weaker and weaker and began to tire quickly. During this period of his life, his food consisted of milk and berries, and sometimes white bread.
Father Nikon did not complain about his illness and remained calm in spirit until the end of his days.
A few days before his death, his strength left him, and he took to his bed. On the Feast of the Assumption, he confessed to his neighbors and gave them a soul-saving admonition. He himself could no longer go to church and in recent days he received Holy Communion at home.
Before his death, Father Nikon asked his spiritual children to find an excerpt from the life story of the ascetic, the place where it was reported about the smell of decay emanating from his body after death. At that moment, this request seemed incomprehensible to many. However, on the eve of his repose, at night, those reading the Gospel suddenly felt the emanation of the smell of decay from his coffin (meanwhile, during the funeral service this smell was not present).
1894 – 09/07/1963
"Don't look for high fortunes"
What does Fr. write about? Nikon? About the “first stone” at the foundation of salvation - Fr. " The deep fall of humanity is being revealed to me more and more, and hence the significance of the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. No soul can be saved from works; there is only one salvation - Christ, who saves those who believe in Him and recognize the need for a Savior, i.e. considers himself a sinner, unworthy of the kingdom of God. Jesus Christ came to call such sinners to repentance and salvation".(1)
He also reminds us that a person who sees his sins and hopes to receive forgiveness from God does not tend to condemn: “... The more sinful a person is, the less he sees sins in himself and the more and more maliciously he condemns others. A true, non-false sign of the correctness of the spiritual dispensation is a deep consciousness of one’s corruption and sinfulness, consciousness of one’s unworthiness of God’s mercies and non-judgment of others"(2)
He often writes about the indispensable forgiveness of others, without which hope for salvation would be in vain: “ Only then does the Lord not forgive us when we ourselves do not forgive others. Therefore, let us make peace with everyone so that the Lord can make peace with us. Let us forgive everyone so that the Lord will forgive us."(3).
Despondent under the weight of sorrows, Fr. Nikon encourages us with a reminder that this sacrifice is not aimless, and if we ourselves cry out to the Lord, asking to cleanse us from the “rags” of previous habits, then we should not neglect the medicine sent to us, which is not always pleasant to the taste.
All this is recognizable, known from the instructions of the elders, St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), but in those years when there was no spiritual literature, it was important to convey to people the basic principles of spiritual work “from mouth to mouth.”
Although there are also things in the letters of Abbot Nikon (Vorobiev) that seem specifically intended for us, today.
A powerful “inoculation” against self-importance is his warning that one should avoid a false sense of “rightness and entitlement”: “ Don't raise your voice to anyone. Remember the immutable word of the Lord: God opposes the proud. This means that you will not be successful in anything, neither in your inner life nor in your outer life. In your inner life you already see coldness, laziness, and sterility. The same will happen on the outside. You will endure shame, reproach, poverty, illness. Not a single desire or expectation of yours will be fulfilled; you will be trampled into the dirt until you reconcile yourself” (4); “Never boss anyone around. Don’t teach others if you haven’t taught yourself anything..."(5)
But perhaps the most valuable today, in conditions when we are faced with attempts to substantiate a certain “secular” understanding of spirituality, are simple and clear reminders of. Nikon about what distinguishes spirituality from culture in the broad sense. Spirituality, he reminds, is deification, i.e. acquisition of the Holy Spirit, renewal of human nature: mind, soul and even body; this is a state of supreme joy of communion with God (6).
Footnotes
1. Quote. By: Hegumen Nikon (Vorobiev). We are left with repentance. Letters from Abbot Nikon (Vorobiev) to his spiritual children. Internet version: Orthodoxy and modernity. Information and analytical portal of the Saratov diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church (http://lib.eparhia-saratov.ru/books/13n/nikon_v/repentance1/contents.html). Letter 21.
2 Quote. By: Hegumen Nikon (Vorobiev). We are left with repentance. Letter 23.
3 Quoted By: Hegumen Nikon (Vorobiev). We are left with repentance. Letter 29.
4 Quoted By: Hegumen Nikon (Vorobiev). We are left with repentance. Letter 107.
5 Quoted. By: Hegumen Nikon (Vorobiev). We are left with repentance. Letter 120.
6 Quoted. By: Hegumen Nikon (Vorobiev). We are left with repentance. Letter 260.
- Hegumen Nikon (Vorobiev). We are left with repentance. Letters on spiritual life. M.: Sretensky Monastery Publishing House, 2007
- Letters from Abbot Nikon (Vorobiev) to his spiritual children. Sisterhood in the name of St. Ignatius of Stavropol, 2008
- Internet version: Orthodoxy and modernity. Information and analytical portal of the Saratov diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church
Hegumen Nikon (in the world Nikolai Nikolaevich Vorobyov) was born in 1894 in the village of Mikshino, Bezhetsk district, Tver province into a large peasant family. From childhood, he was distinguished by seriousness, special honesty, amazing cordiality, pity for everyone and an unquenchable thirst for truth, the highest truth, a thirst for understanding the meaning of human existence.
Brought up, like most ordinary people of that time, only in external, traditional religiosity, which did not have a solid spiritual foundation and a clear understanding of the essence of Christianity, capable, at best, of instilling in a person only good morality, the future ascetic very soon lost his childhood faith.
With sincere passion, he rushed into the study of first the sciences and then philosophy, naively believing that the truth was hidden there, but he soon realized that this was not so. Later he admitted: “I realized that just as science does not give anything about God, about the future life, so philosophy will not give anything either. And the conclusion became completely clear that we must turn to religion.” His studies at the Petrograd Psycho-Neurological Institute gave him nothing but disappointment: “I saw: psychology studies not a person at all, but “skin” - the speed of processes, apperception, memory... Such nonsense that it also pushed me away.”
After a painful search, already experiencing a state of complete hopelessness, the 20-year-old young man suddenly remembered the faith of his early childhood and from the entire depth of his being, almost in despair, began to cry out: “Lord, if You exist, then reveal yourself to me! "Some earthly, selfish goals. I only need one thing: are You there, or are you not?" And the Lord mysteriously revealed himself. From that moment on, everything in Nikolai Vorobyov’s life changed radically. Years of unceasing feat and true asceticism began. In his spiritual life, he was carefully but also cautiously guided by the patristic writings, which at the same time became for him a source of genuine joy and consolation.
Being already 36 years old, after a serious test of his strength, Nikolai Nikolaevich Vorobyov took monastic vows with the name Nikon. A year later, Father Nikon first became a hierodeacon, and soon a hieromonk. In 1933, on March 23 (the day of his tonsure), he was arrested and exiled to Siberian camps for a period of five years. After his release, unable to continue his priestly service, Fr. Nikon worked for several years as a doctor’s assistant in Vyshny Volochyok.
During the Great Patriotic War, many churches were returned to the Russian Orthodox Church; the opportunity arose to return to the priesthood. In 1944, Bishop Vasily of Kaluga, Hieromonk Nikon, was appointed rector of the Annunciation Church in the city of Kozelsk, where he served until 1948. Then he was transferred to Belev, then to the city of Efremov, then to Smolensk, and finally, to a run-down parish in the city of Gzhatsk at that time, which he regarded as exile.
At first, in a new place, I had to endure incredible everyday and financial difficulties. The priest never had any money at all, since he gave it away almost immediately after receiving it. All his property, with the exception of the most necessary things, consisted of only books, mainly the writings of the holy fathers of the Orthodox Church.
In the last period of his life, the then abbot Nikon suffered many different sorrows, everyday troubles, and vanity. “But this vanity,” he said before his death, “gave me the opportunity to see: we ourselves cannot do anything good.” At this time, by his own admission, he understood and experienced a state of initial Christian humility, revealing “that we ourselves are nothing, but God’s creation, we are God’s creation only. Therefore, what should we be proud of, what should we oppose to God?”
Before his death, Abbot Nikon survived his last test - a serious illness. For more than three months before his death, he could not take any food other than milk. But at the same time he never complained, he was always calm, focused and for the most part even had a slight smile on his face. Until his death, he was in full and clear consciousness and, with the last of his strength, instructed those around him. He bequeathed to preserve the faith by fulfilling the commandments and repentance in every possible way, to adhere in every possible way to the teachings of Bishop Ignatius (Brianchaninov), and to especially avoid vanity, which completely devastates the soul and leads it away from God.