Catacomb Orthodox Church. Catacomb church

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Russian True Orthodox Church

In 1927, Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky), who held a secretarial post at the Supreme Church Administration, under pressure from the communist authorities decided to submit in all his activities to the Stalinist regime. He took advantage of the fact that the legal head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Peter (Polyansky), was in exile (for refusing to cooperate with the God-fighters), and had no opportunity to prevent this lawlessness. Having appropriated the rights of the Patriarch, Metropolitan Sergius founded a church administration from among his associates and, with the full support of the Bolsheviks, actually declared himself the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. At the same time, he dared to impose bans on all true confessors of Orthodoxy, causing a schism on a huge scale.

The Church, unable to assemble a Council under the conditions of persecution and condemn the actions of this person, was forced to gradually move to an illegal position. Numerous groups of Christians were formed, which united around their bishop or priest. The God-fighting government brutally persecuted such meetings and declared them counter-revolutionary organizations, with all the ensuing grave consequences.

As a result of persecutions unprecedented in the history of the Church, the Catacomb Church could not have (despite the enormous efforts made) its own central government and was not even able to give the next generation of the episcopate. It often happened that the priest who took care of the catacomb community died, and people, not knowing anyone else from the catacomb priesthood, gathered for decades at the grave of their priest, reading church rites with a "secular rite". It happened that one priest took care of dozens of communities, traveling with church utensils folded in a suitcase throughout the country, often without risking even spending the night in the house of his faithful children, fearing to incur suspicion on them.

Catacomb Christians were often hunted down by representatives of the legal church - the "Moscow Patriarchate" (founded by Stalin in 1943), who, upon discovering, immediately reported them to the state punitive authorities. Patriarchal priests, who at the time were almost all secret informants, the catacomb Christians were as wary of other KGB workers.

The very name "Catacomb Church" is conditional, it was also called and is called "Do not remember" (godless authorities and their protégés), "True Orthodox" Church.

It is difficult to classify the CPI because it did not have a center. You can talk about one, any bishop who nursed secret parishes, or about individual priests, or simply about groups of Orthodox Christians left without nourishment, but ascending to this or that priest or bishop.

In addition, many outsiders mixed with the catacomb movement, who founded their sects under the guise of the True Orthodox or Catacomb Church (which, unfortunately, is actively happening now - see. Suzdal group of ROAC deputy Valentin (Rusantsov), True Orthodox Church under Mikhalchenkov's leadership, Ambrose (Sivers) group, True Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate etc.).

After the promulgation of the Declaration of Met. Sergius, who did not accept it, were divided, as it were, into 2 streams - some immediately categorically did not accept it and immediately began to create a structure of parishes, completely separate from Met. Sergius (i.e., to build the body of the Catacomb Church), while others - dissociating themselves from Met. Sergius, took a wait-and-see attitude in the hope that he would repent and return to his original confession, not aiming to create a separate structure (the “non-remembering” movement).

From the very first days after the promulgation of the Declaration, Metropolitan. Sergius set about creating the administration of the true Orthodox Church, Metropolitan. Joseph (Petrovich). The bishops he created included the following bishops: Seraphim (Samoilovich), Dimitri (Lyubimov), Sergiy (Druzhinin), Pavel (Kratirov), Alexy (Bui), Varlaam (Ryashentsev), etc. Dioceses and deaneries were actively created. Thus, according to the documents of the investigation, "the counter-revolutionary organization of churchmen, the True Orthodox Church, was widely ramified and embraced the entire Soviet Union with its branches," including Ukraine. In the republic there was a strictly structurally organized network of groups and cells of the CPI, directly controlled by the Leningrad and Moscow centers. According to the GPU, this network consisted of 3 branches (dioceses): Kharkov, headed by bishop. Paul (Kratirov), Dnepropetrovsk, led by Bishop. Joasaph (Popov) and Odessa, headed by Archpriest G. Seletsky and Abbot Varsonofy (Yurchenko). The Kharkov diocese included 11 groups (districts): Kharkov, Sumy, Stalin, Kiev, Debaltsevskaya, Kadievskaya, Mariupol, Popasnyanskaya, Berdyanskaya, Slavyanskaya, Krasnoluchinskaya; to the Dnepropetrovsk diocese - 3: Novomoskovsk, Kryvyi Rih, Ladyzhinskaya; to the Odessa diocese - 6: Kharkiv, Poltava, Zinoviev, Alexandria, Nikolaev and Kherson. It is known that the administrator of the Zinovievsky district of the Odessa diocese was Archpriest Gregory Seletsky. The diocese included deaneries: Zinovievskoe, Elisavetgrad and Alexandria. In the Krivoy Rog district of the Dnepropetrovsk diocese there were 2 deaneries: Ingulets and Bratolyubovskoe, etc. However, at the beginning of 1931 there were mass arrests, the legal formations of the True Orthodox Church were defeated, bishops, priests and laity were repressed. Since that time, the True Orthodox Church has lived practically only in an illegal position.

Other bishops did not immediately come to decisions, which were made by the metropolitan. Joseph. So, for example. Met. Cyril, who in the beginning admitted the presence of grace in the "Sergian" sacraments, convinced of the impossibility of repentance of Met. Sergius, later fully joined the confession of Met. Joseph. But also Met. Cyril, and other "non-remembered" bishops, even in the first years after the Declaration, blessed and founded the secret catacomb parishes themselves (which is clearly seen from the investigative files).

Thus, the structure of the Catacomb Church initially consisted of separate dioceses (in fact, having no clear geographical boundaries), and then of separate parishes. Therefore, in our reference book, we include the names of bishops and priests as structural subdivisions of the one Church. It should also be borne in mind that the new martyrs (i.e. those who suffered to death for Christ) did not necessarily belong to the Catacomb Church. Thus, for example, the new martyr Anatoly of Odessa was even a member of the unauthorized Synod of Metropolitan. Sergius and imposed bans on the Josephite priests. However, a group of schismatics headed by Metropolitan. Sergius denied before God ("not for fear, but for conscience") of all Christ's confessors and martyrs, including him. Therefore, being confessors of Christ even to death, they are also included in the number of His true Church.

We present a list (far from complete) of pastors and archpastors - those who participated in the life of the True Orthodox and Catacomb Church until the end of their days), as well as those who dissociated themselves from the Sergian "church of the deceitful" (the list does not include a host of clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia).

Averky, archbishop. Volynsky and Zhitomirsky (Polycarp Petrovich Kedrov), brother of Archbishop. Pachomia - genus. 03/02/1879 in the city of Yaransk, Vyatka province. 07/02/1910 - accepted monasticism. 07/05/1910 - ordained hieromonk. 1911 - rector of the Volyn Theological Seminary, archimandrite. 1915-1922 - bishop Ostrozhsky, vicar of the Volyn diocese. 1922-1926 - Archbishop of Volyn and Zhitomir. 1922 - arrested and exiled to Uzbekistan; returned from exile to Zhitomir. 1929 - arrested and exiled to Arkhangelsk; in exile he was arrested and exiled to Birsk (Bashkiria). 1937 - arrested in Birsk. 11/27/1937 - shot.

Alexander, bishop Kharkovsky.

Alexander, hieromonk (in the world Athanasius) - genus. in 1876 in Vologda. He was a regimental priest in World War I, received a golden cross from the Emperor, was awarded a miter and 2 crosses. Arrested in 1930. Was imprisoned for 3 years. Hiding from the authorities' persecution, in 1935 he left clothes and a note on the river bank: "Tired of living", went into an illegal position. Served the Catacomb Church in different cities of Siberia and the North. In the late 1940s he became a monk in Ufa. He served the Liturgy from 12 am to 4 am. He died in Tomsk on 08/29/1977.

Alexy, Bishop Urazovsky (Alexey Vasilievich Bui) - genus. in 1892 in the village of Kinshevsky, Tomsk province. 12/19/1923 - consecrated in bishop. Velizhsky. 1924 - Bp. Petropavlovsky. 1925 - Bp. Akmola. 1925-1926 - bishop Semipalatinsky. 1926-1927 - Bp. Michurinsky. 1927 - Bp. Shatsky. December 1927 - Bp. Urazovsky. From 03/18/1928 - cared for the parishes of the TOC in the Kharkov, Poltava, Kupyansk, Izyum and Sumy districts. In Ukraine he had the powers of an exarch. 1929 - arrested together with the Metropolitan. Joseph (Petrov) and other bishops and imprisoned in the Solovetsky camp.

Alexy, abbot (Selifonov) - belonged to the Danilov group of confessors. In the 1930s he took care of the Catacomb Christians in the city of Kirzhach.

Alexy, priest - lived in a village in the Kuban. After death, the spiritual children passed to Fr. Nikita Lehan.

Alipy, archimandrite (Yakovenko) - lived in Chernigov, the spiritual son of Fr. John of Kronstadt. 1931 - arrested. 1935 - secretly returned to Chernigov, settled in the village. Svin (Ulyanovka), organized a secret monastic skete. 1937 - moved to Chernigov, set up a house church, served the Liturgy every day. During the occupation in 1941 he returned to the village. Pigs for the establishment of church life. 1943 - after the capture of Chernigov by the Red Army, he was killed by a grenade thrown at his feet. In addition to him, priests belonged to True Orthodox Christians in Chernigov: Archimandrite Georgy (Smilnitsky) (arrested, died in the camps), Abbot Smaragd (Chernetsky), Abbot Ephrem (Kisly) (rector of the Ilyinsky Church in Chernigov), Abbot Pallady (Mishchenko) , Hieromonk Michael (Korma), Hieromonk Innokenty (Kozko), Fr. Gabriel Pavlenko, Priest John Smolichev (15.10.1930 - arrested), Hierodeacon Misail (Stishkovsky) and others.

Ambrose, bishop Podolsk (Alexander Alekseevich Polyansky) - b. 12.12.1878 in s. Petelino, Elatomsky district, Tambov province. 1901 - tonsured into monasticism, hierodeacon. 1902 - hieromonk. 1903 - graduated from the Kazan Theological Academy with a PhD in Theology. 1906 - rector of the Kiev Theological Seminary in the rank of archimandrite. 10/22/1918 - Bp. Vinnitsa. 1922 - moved to the Kamenets-Podolsk department. 1925 - arrested and sentenced to 3 years in a concentration camp, served in Solovki. 1927, summer - died in Kazakhstan.

Ambrose, hieromonk (in schema Onuviy) - until 1917 - colonel of the Russian army. In the 1920s, Bishop was ordained. Maxim (Zhizhilenko). He spent 20 years in the camps. After his release, he served the Catacomb Church mainly in Voronezh and the Voronezh region. After about. Hilarion was the leader of a group of priests there. He died in 1964 or 1965.

Amphilochius, bishop Yenisei and Krasnoyarsk (Alexander Yakovlevich Skvortsov) - 1922-1923 - held the Melekess department. 04.1928-1928 - Don Department. 1929-1930 - bishop Yenisei and Krasnoyarsk. 1930 - left the Krasnoyarsk diocese, joined the Danilov group of confessors, retired to the taiga, where he founded a skete. 1934 - arrested. 1937 - shot (according to other sources - died in 1946).

Amphilochius, bishop Tomsk (co-religionist) (Anfim Filaretovich Shibanov) - b. 12/20/1897 in Tobolsk province. In 1910-1917 he lived and bore obediences in the monastic sketes in the Urals and the West. Siberia. 1921 - tonsured into the mantle of bishop. Simon (Shleev) in the co-religion monastery of Satka. 1922 - ordained hierodeacon Habakkuk, bishop. Staro-Ufa (Borovkov). 1923 - consecrated as hieromonk Andrew, archbishop. Ufa (Ukhtomsky). 1924–1928 - served in a co-religionist skete in the Tyumen district. Presumably he was secretly ordained as a co-religionist bishop in 1928 in a village near Ufa by bishop. Avvakum, bishop Rufin (Brekhov) and bishop. Vassian (Veretennikov) (according to other sources, Bishop Job (Grechishkin) and Bishop Benjamin [Troitsky] participated instead of Bishop Vassian). 1932 - due to the threat of arrest, he moved to the Svyato-Ilyinsky Skete in the Tomsk Region, where he stayed until 1984. Since 1960, he was recognized as senior bishop Bishop. Vladimir (Baron von Stomberg), after his death in 1981 - Mercury, bishop. Satkinsky, of the same faith. He died on 07/30/1994 in the Svyato-Nikolsky skete in Bashkiria. In Transbaikalia, there are supposedly 2 small communities to this day, which he once cared for (information from the monk Ambrose [Sivers]).

Andreev Feodor, archpriest - one of the leaders of the Josephite movement. He served until 1927 at the Sergievsky Artillery Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Meetings of the Josephites were held in his apartment in St. Petersburg in 1927. Arrested in 1928.

Andrey, Archbishop. Ufa (Prince Ukhtomsky) (1872-1937) - the founder of one of the catacomb movements. According to some reports, he was ordained approx. 40 bishops of whom lived to 1981 as bishop. Vladimir (von Stomberg), and until 1984 the last co-religionist bishop. Mercury (Kotlov). Together with other bishops he was ordained for the care of the Catacomb Church: bishop. Avvakum (Borovskov) (1922), bishop. Benjamin (Troitsky) (1923), bishop. Job (Grechishkin) (c. 1926), bishop. Rufin (Brekhov) (1925), bishop Vladimir (Baron von Stromberg) (1927) and others. He also founded the same-faith movement in the TOC - the United Ancient Orthodox Church.

Andrew, priest - lived in Chuvashia, after his death the spiritual children passed to Fr. Nikita Lehan.

Anthony, schiep. (Prince David Ilyich Abashidze) - born on 12.10.1867 in Tiflis province. 1891 - graduated from the Novorossiysk University in Odessa, took monastic vows with the name Dimitri, hierodeacon. 1896 - graduated from the Kiev Theological Academy with the degree of candidate of theology, hieromonk. 1900 - Archimandrite. 1902 - consecrated in bishop. Allaverdsky. 1903 - Bp. Gurian-Mingrelian. 1906 - Bp. Turkestan and Tashkent. 1912 - Bp. Tavrichesky and Simferopol. 1914 - an ordinary priest of the Black Sea squadron. 1915 - Archbishop of Simferopol and Tauride. May 1919 - participant of the All-Russian Central University of the South-East of Russia. Refused to leave the borders of Russia, was arrested. 1924 - released, wandered, was out of work. 1926 - without prior arrangement settled in the Kiev Kitaevskaya desert. Late 1920s - lived in the Near Caves of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, accepted the schema. 1930 - after the closure of the monastery, he lived in Kiev in apartments, nursed the catacomb flock. During the occupation of Kiev, he again settled in the monastery. The Metropolitan recognized the legal Exarch of Ukraine. Volynsky Alexy (Hromadsky). He died in December 1943, a month after the capture of Kiev by Soviet troops. Buried at the entrance to the Near Caves.

Arkady, bishop

Arseny, bishop Serpukhovskoy (Alexander Ivanovich Zhadanovsky) - genus. 03/06/1874 in Kharkov province. 1899 - on the advice of St. John of Kronstadt chose the monastic path, tonsured into the mantle. 1902-1903 - hieromonk. Graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy with a PhD in Theology. 06/08/1914 - Bp. Serpukhovskoy, vicar of the Moscow diocese. 1927 - did not accept the appointment of Metropolitan. Sergius (Stragorodsky), adhering entirely to the confessor Bp. Seraphim (Zvezdinsky). 1931 - arrested. 1934 - was in the Medroga camp. 1937 - arrested in the Moscow region. 09/27/1937 - shot in the Butovo settlement near Moscow.

Athanasius, bishop Serpukhovskoy (Molchanovsky) - 1924–? - Skvirskaya and Berdichevskaya diocese. 1929 - arrested together with the Metropolitan. Joseph (Petrov) and other bishops and imprisoned in the Solovetsky concentration camp.

Belavsky Peter, priest. - served in Novgorod in 1936-1938 with Archim. Claudius (Savinsky). He died in 1983.

Boychuk Andrey N., priest. - one of the active workers of the CPI in Kiev. In 1928, he drove a petition from the Kiev clergy to join the administration of the bishop. Dimitri (Lyubimov). 1937 - was in exile, kept in touch with priest. Evgeny Lukyanov from Kiev. June 1939 - returned from exile. Due to the ban on living in Kiev from 15.06. Until 09.12 1939 he worked in the town of Belaya Tserkov as a watchman in a hospital, a weigher at a poultry plant. December 1939 - illegally moved to Kiev, secretly performed divine services. 05/07/1941 - tracked down and arrested. "In connection with the military situation" was shot.

Butkevich Nikolay, archpriest

Valaam, archbishop. Permian (Victor Stepanovich Ryashentsev), brother of Bishop. Herman is a genus. 06/08/1878 in the Tambov province. 1901 - graduated from the Kazan Theological Academy with a PhD in Theology. Vowed into the mantle, hierodeacon, hieromonk. 1906 - rector of the Poltava Theological Seminary, archimandrite. 01/13/1913 - Bp. Gomel, vicar of the Mogilev diocese in St. Petersburg. 1913-1922 (?) - Bishop Mstislavsky. 1923 - Bp. Pskov and Porkhovsky. 1924 - arrested in Pskov, sentenced to 2 years in prison, served in the Yaroslavl prison. 1928 - Archbishop. Permsky, a member of the "Yaroslavl" and "Iosiflyan" movement of confessors. 1929 - arrested together with the Metropolitan. Joseph (Petrov) and other bishops, sentenced to 3 years in a concentration camp. In the Kotlas camp he was again arrested and sentenced to 10 years. 02/20/1942 - died in one of the camps in the Vologda region.

Barlaam, bishop Maikop (Lazarenko) - in 1927 he settled in the village. Ugroedy Sumy district, then moved to the village. Russian Berezovka of the Belgorod District. 12/10/1927 - summoned to the GPU, but did not appear there, went into an illegal position. He settled in with. Dronovka. 1928 - met in Leningrad with Bishop. Dimitriy (Lyubimov), received an order from him to transfer the "Stefanov" communities to the CPI Bishop. Alexy (Buy). After the transfer of the communities, he left for Maikop. 1929 - arrested.

Barnabas, bishop (Nikolai Nikanorovich Belyaev) - b. 05/25/1887 in s. Ramenskoye, Bronnitsky district, Moscow province. 1910 - met the elder of the Zosimov Hermitage, Fr. Alexy (Solovyov), who became his spiritual father. 1911 - took monastic vows, hierodeacon. 1913 - hieromonk. 1915 - graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy. 1920 - ep. Vasilsursky, from 1921 - bishop. Pechersky, vicar of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese. 1922 - deviated into Renovationism, repented and, with the blessing of his spiritual father, accepted the feat of foolishness. 1933 - arrested for creating a secret monastery, sentenced to 3 years in the camps. After his release in 1936 he lived in Tomsk. 1941 - moved to Kiev. Died 06/05/1963. Buried at the Baikovo cemetery in Kiev.

Barsanuphius, abbot (Yurchenko) - one of the leaders of the catacomb movement in Ukraine. 1926 - exiled to Kharkov from the Nikolaev diocese, where he was dean of the Pervomaisky district. 1927-1928 - gathered a large secret community. Divine services were held in his apartment. Nourished believers from Donbass, Kuban, Belarus, Poltava, Kherson, Odessa districts and other places. In the Nikolaev diocese, Pyotr Mikhailovich Chernobyl (now Archimandrite of the ROCOR Nektarii) kept in touch with him, in the village. Olshanka served as a former Athonite monk Alexy (in 1929 he brought to Zinovievsk priest P. Kupchevsky an anathema to Metropolitans Sergius and Mikhail, allegedly from the abbot of a Russian monastery on Athos). January 1931 - rented. As one of the leaders of the "counter-revolutionary organization True Orthodox Church", he was sentenced to 5 years in concentration camps. Mid-1930s - released, disabled. He returned to Kharkov, secretly performed services in apartments. He nursed the flock in Ukraine, Belarus, and the Kuban. 1936 - tracked down in Odessa, arrested, sent to the Kolyma camps. The further fate is not known.

Vasily, bishop Yeletsky (Belyaev) - 06/29/1925 - consecrated into bishop. Spas-Klepikovsky, vicar of the Ryazan diocese. 1927 - arrested, lived in the village. Heh with Metropolitan. Peter (Polyansky). 1927-1929 - bishop Yeletsky, vicar of the Oryol diocese. 1931 - Bp. Buturlinovsky.

Vasily, bishop Kargopolsky (Dokhturov) - 08/29/1924 - Altai Department. 1925-1926 - Yaranskaya department. He occupied successively: Pinezhskaya, Vytegorskaya and Kargopol departments. 1929 - arrested together with the Metropolitan. Joseph (Petrov) and other bishops.

Vasily, bishop Kineshemsky (Preobrazhensky) - 10/02/1921-1926 - Kineshma department. 1926-1927 - Vyaznikovskaya department.

Vasily, bishop Priluksky (Vasily Ivanovich Zelentsov) - b. in 1870 in the village. Zimarov, Rannenburgsky district, Ryazan province. Graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University and the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. 1920 - priest at a parish in Poltava. 1921-1923 - lived in Kharkov. 08/12/1924 - Bp. Priluksky, vicar of the Poltava diocese. 1925 - arrested, sentenced to death, pardoned and released under an amnesty. 1926 - exiled for 3 years to the Solovetsky camp. 1927 - Metropolitan sent a message. Sergius, in which he indicated the possibility of giving it to the court. November 1928 - sympathized with the activities of the Metropolitan. Sergius, but soon took an even more irreconcilable position. He called for fighting the Soviet regime by armed means. 1928 - exiled from Solovki to the Irkutsk region. 12/09/1929 - arrested. 02/03/1930 - sentenced to be shot. 04/04/1930 - shot.

Vvedensky Alexander, archpriest - Josephite priest, circa 1930 served in Odessa in the "Botanical" church.

Benjamin, bishop Baikinsky

Benjamin, bishop Sterlitamak (Ufimsky) (Alexander Vasilievich Troitsky) - genus. OK. 1893 in Tver (Torzhok-?). He took monastic vows in 1922-1923 in the Nilov Hermitage. 1920s - exiled to Tashkent. The bishop was ordained in Ufa. Peter (Ladygin) and Bishop. Job (Grechishkin) with the blessing of Archbishop. Andrey (Ukhtomsky). In 1930 he was arrested, sentenced to 10 years, but after 2 years he fell ill with pleurisy and was sent into exile in the town of Melekess, Ulyanovsk region. In 1937 he was arrested again and subjected to cruel torture. The further fate is unknown.

Veruzhsky Vasily, archpriest - Rector of the Cathedral of the Savior "on Blood" in St. Petersburg, professor. He formulated 8 positions of the "new course" not acceptable to Christians, which he handed over to the metropolitan. Sergius 12.12.1927.

Victor, bishop Votkinskiy (Viktor Alexandrovich Ostrovidov) - b. in 1876 in the village. Zolotoe of the Zolotovskaya volost of the Kamyshinsky district of the Saratov province, in a family of peasants. Graduated from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. He was tonsured into a mantle. Member of the Jerusalem Spiritual Mission. 1910 - Archimandrite, abbot of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg. 12/26/1919 - consecrated in bishop. Urzhumsky. 1920 - arrested, sentenced to imprisonment. 1923-1927 - bishop Glazovsky. 1927 - manager of the Izhevsk diocese. Joined the Metropolitan. Joseph (Petrovs). One of the leaders of the catacomb movement. 1929 - arrested together with the Metropolitan. Joseph and other bishops. Was imprisoned in Solovki and other concentration camps. 05/02/1934 - died in exile in the village of Ust-Tsilma, Arkhangelsk region. Buried in the village cemetery.

Victorin, priest.

Vinogradov Nikolay, archpriest - in the summer of 1928 (or in January 1929) I traveled through Kharkov together with prot. G. Seletsky to Leningrad to Archbishop. Dimitri (Lyubimov), became subordinate to him, was appointed dean of the Zinoviev district of the Elisavetgrad (Zinoviev) diocese in Ukraine. He was responsible for the appointment and relocation of priests. Recommended by Bp. Demetrius Deacon of the Sosnovsk Church Gabriel Bandurko for priestly consecration. 1929 - served in the Peter and Paul Church in Zinovievsk. He was the confessor of Archpriest. G. Seletsky. 1928–30 - his deanery included 14 churches. He was also joined by a group of priests of the Blagodatsky region: Iosif Korolchuk, Makariy Tsykin, Molodchenko and Naidovsky. 1930 - through repentance, priests were added to the Josephites in the Zinovievsky district: Odnosum, Vasily Alekseev, Vasily Kravchenko and others. 01/15/1931 - was arrested among 16 priests of the Zinovievsky district, who were then in the case of the True Orthodox Church in Ukraine: V. Sokolova, G. . Gubarevsky, N. Rossinsky, V. Ognevtsev, P. Kupchevsky, P. Dashkevich, I. Lyubavsky and others.

Vissarion, hieromonk (in the schema Seraphim, in the world Ivan Petrovich Markov) - genus. in 1894 in the town of Kasimov, Ryazan region. In 1945, being in an illegal position, he was ordained hieromonk, Archbishop. Nikolay (Vladimir Ivanovich Muravyov-Uralsky). 1950 - arrested, sentenced to 10 years in labor camps. He served 6 years in the Poten camps. After his release, he took care of the communities of the Catacomb Church in Moscow, Karaganda, Kirov, Tambov, Mordovia, Vologda, Voronezh, Gorky, Vladimir regions. He died in 1979 on Easter day just after Matins. He was buried in Tambov at the Peter and Paul City Cemetery.

Volokitin Arkady, priest. - OK. 1929 he lived in Kazan, a catacomb temple was equipped in his house. 08/30/1930 - arrested in Kazan in the case of "the counter-revolutionary organization True Orthodox Church." Bishop was close. Nektarios (to Trezvinsky).

Gabriel, Archbishop. Polotsk and Vitebsk (Voevodin) - genus. OK. 1937 in the Petersburg province. 1893 - took monastic vows, hierodeacon. 1824 - graduated from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy with the degree of candidate of theology, hieromonk. 1910 - consecrated in bishop. Ostrozhsky. 1915 - Bp. Chelyabinsk. 1916-1919 - bishop Barnaulsky. 1919-1922 - bishop Akmola. 1922-1923 - deviated from Renovationism, brought repentance and was forgiven. 1924-1927 - Archbishop. Yamburgsky, vicar of the Leningrad diocese. 1927 - Archbishop. Polotsk and Vitebsk. 1928 - retired. 1938 - died in Borovichi (?).

Genkin Hilarion P., priest. - Dean of the Joseph deanery of Alexandria, Zinoviev Diocese in Ukraine, replaced at this post the arrested Archpriest. Anthony Kotovich. The rector of the church in the village. Krasnaya Kamenka. His assistant was a priest of the church with. Voinovka Nikita Olshansky. June 1929 - together with the Ingulets Dean of Fr. Nikolai Fomenko went to Leningrad and was received by Archbishop. Dimitriy (Lyubimov) under his supervision. Hieromonk Averky (Orlenko) served in the Deanery of Alexandria. 1930 - was under investigation "for agitation against the removal of bells." 01/16/1931 - arrested among 7 priests of the Alexandria deanery: G.R. Bublik, N.P. Olshansky, I.S. Zhushman, I.P. Shvachko, D.A. Oratovsky, F.V. Belinsky. All of them went to the cause of the True Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

Herman, bishop Vyaznikovsky (Nikolai Stepanovich Ryashentsev), brother of Archbishop. Varlaam - genus. 11/10/1874 in Tambov in a merchant family. 1906 - graduated from the Kazan Theological Academy, took monastic vows in the 4th year. 09/14/1919 - consecrated in bishop. Volokolamsky, vicar of the Moscow diocese. 1923 - arrest, exile to the Tyumen region. 1925 - arrested, sentenced to 2 years of exile in Kazakhstan. 1928 and 1935-1936 - was imprisoned in the village. Kochpon, not far from Ust-Sysolsk (Syktyvkar) of the Zyryansk region. He died in 1937.

Glagolev Alexander, archpriest - in 1928 he was rector of the Church of St. Nicholas the Good in Podol, professor of the Kiev Theological Academy, - belonged to the Ukrainian group of "non-remembering".

Gregory, bishop Barnaul (Kozyrev). 09/30/23 - 01/16/24 - occupied the Murom department (temporarily managed Kovrovskaya). 09/27/1924–1925 - Suzdal Department. 1925–14.06.1929 - Volskaya department (temporarily managed by Semipalatinsk). 06/14/1929-1929 - Novotorzhsk department. 1929-01.1937 - Department of Bezhetsk. 11.02.1937-27.07.1937 - Department of Barnaul (temporarily managed by Biysk). He belonged to the Danilov group of confessors. 07/27/1937 - arrested. The further fate is unknown.

Gregory, bishop Shlisselburgsky and Detskoselsky (Alexander Alexandrovich Lebedev) - born on November 12, 1878 in the city of Kolomna, Moscow province. in the family of a priest. 1903 - graduated from the Kazan Theological Academy. 1921 - took monastic vows. Archimandrite of the Danilov Monastery. 12/02/1923 - consecrated in bishop. Shlisselburgsky, vicar of the Petrograd diocese. 03/13/1928 sent a letter to Metropolitan. Sergius (Stragorodsky) about the departure from his management, retired and lived in the city of Kashin. 1928-1929 - bishop Shlisselburgsky. Joined Metropolitan. Joseph (Petrov). 1937 - arrested. 09/17/1937 - shot together with a group of clergy and laity.

Gregory, priest. (Skoruta) - a catacomb priest, lived in the 1970s in Trosinetsk (?).

Gury, Archbishop. Suzdal (Alexey Ivanovich Stepanov) - genus. 10/03/1880 in the city of Cheboksary, in a peasant family. 1905 - took monastic vows. 1906 - graduated from the Kazan Theological Academy, associate professor. 1912 - Archimandrite. 01/26/1920 - consecrated in bishop. Alatyrsky. 1920 - arrested. 1923 - arrested. 1923, July - appointed by Patriarch Tikhon to govern the Petrograd diocese. 1924, Feb. - Archbishop. Irkutsk. 1924 - arrested. 11/10/1925 - arrested in the "Case of Metropolitan Peter." 1926-1927 - imprisoned in Solovki. 1930 - did not accept the appointment from the Metropolitan. Sergius. 08/02/1930 - Archbishop. Suzdal. 1931 - removed from church life. 1932 - sentenced to 3 years in a concentration camp. 1938 - shot near Novosibirsk.

Damascene, bishop Glukhovsky (Dmitry Dmitrievich Tsedrik) - b. 10/29/1877 in the city of Lighthouses of the Odessa district of the Kherson province. in the family of an employee. He graduated from the Theological Seminary, Agricultural Institute and Institute of Oriental Languages \u200b\u200bin Kazan, worked as a missionary at the Beijing Spiritual Mission. 09/14/1923 - consecrated by Patriarch Tikhon in bishop. Starodubsky, vicar of the Chernigov diocese. He was close to the Danilov opposition. He was repeatedly arrested, preached a lot, and did missionary work. 1925 - arrested in Moscow together with the Metropolitan. Peter (Polyansky), placed in the Butyrka prison. September 1926 - exiled to the Turukhansk region. December 1928 - returned from exile, settled in the town of Starodub. November 1929 - arrested. Together with Metropolitan. Joseph (Petrov) and other bishops and sent to the Solovetsky concentration camp. 1934 - released. Metropolitan sent the message. Sergius is against his church policy. Preached going to the catacombs. Autumn 1934 - arrested in Kherson, sentenced to 3 years in exile, exiled to Kazakhstan. 1935 - sent on a stage to Siberia. 1936 - arrested again and sentenced to imprisonment in a concentration camp. 09/10/1937 - sentenced to death in the Karaganda concentration camp (according to another version, he died on 09/10/1937 after catching a cold on the ferry).

Daniel, bishop Chita and Zabaikalsky (Sherstennikov). 192061927 - Chita and Trans-Baikal diocese, served in Chita, from 1926 to 1927 - in Irkutsk, where he was arrested. 1927-1928 - Diocese of Kyrenia. 1928-14.02.1932 - Diocese of Okhotsk. Aestovan. According to unverified information, released in 1953, lived secretly in Barnaul with an unknown colonel.

Demetrius, bishop Gdovsky (Lyubimov) - genus. in 1857. Graduated from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. Priest, archpriest, tonsured into the mantle, archimandrite. 01/12/1926 - consecrated in bishop. Gdovsky, vicar of the Leningrad diocese. Joined Metropolitan. Joseph (Petrov). One of the leaders of the catacomb movement. 1928 - Metropolitan. Joseph was elevated to the rank of archbishop. He nursed the Josephites in different places, including in Ukraine. 1929 - arrested together with the Metropolitan. Joseph and other bishops. He died in 1934 (or was shot in 1936 in Moscow).

Demetrius, bishop Tyumen (Lokotko) - a confessor of Orthodoxy, was arrested and exiled. In 1924–? occupied the Tyumen department. In the 1960s, after the end of his exile, he lived in the village. Kedrovo on the Pechora River.

Dubina Alexander, priest. - served in the temple in the village. Mozoleevka of the Kremenchug District in Ukraine. 1929 - cared for the Josephite communities, distributed anti-Sergian proclamations (in particular, among the Poltava Josephites). 1930 - arrested and exiled.

Eugene, bishop Rostov (Evgeny Yakovlevich Kobranov) - genus. in 1891 in the Smolensk province. 1916 - graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy (first: professor's fellow). 1917 - Priest at the Church of the Nine Martyrs in Moscow, Master of Theology. 1921 - tonsured into a mantle. 03/27/1926 - consecrated into bishop. Muromsky. 1927 - Bp. Rostov, vicar of the Yaroslavl diocese. As part of the Yaroslavl group of confessors. 11/22/1933 - did not manage the diocese. 11/20/1937 - shot in the Chikment prison together with Metropolitans Joseph (Petrovs) and Kirill (Smirnov).

Eustratius, abbot - from the fraternity of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. 1927-1928 - announced the departure from the Metropolitan. Sergius. He lived in Kharkov. 16-17.01.1931 - arrested. As one of the leaders of the "counter-revolutionary organization True Orthodox Church", he was sentenced to 5 years in a concentration camp. He died in the Svir camps.

Eden-Svoezemtsev Evlampy, priest. - in 1929 he arrived in Kazan after exile for "counter-revolutionary activities". Bishop was close. Nektarios (to Trezvinsky).

Edlinsky Michael, archpriest - "not remembering", lived in Kiev. Transferred approx. 1930 G. Kostkevich material about the closure of churches and monasteries in Soviet times.

Zhuravlev Maxim, priest. 08/13/1923 - Elected Dean of the Clergy and Laity of the Bratolyubovsky District (Dnepropetrovsk) Diocese in Ukraine. The rector of the church with. Varvarovka Dolinsky district. January 1929 - along with the deanery (6 parishes) joined the bishop. Alexy (Buy). Directed deacon Sergius Sinitsky for ordination to the priesthood. After the arrest of Bishop. Alexis, became subordinate to bishop. Maxim (Zhizhilenko), then Archbishop. Dimitri (Lyubimov). 01/16/1931 - arrested by the OGPU, including 10 Josephites, including priests N. Fomenko, I. Samolyuk, M. Vdovichenko, I. Shvidenko.

Zhurakovsky Anatoly, priest. - one of the organizers of the True Orthodox Church in Kiev. The author of the anti-Sergian "Kiev Appeal" also signed by priests Andrey Boychuk, Dimitri Ivanov, Yevgeny Lukyanov, Boris Kvasnitsky, archim. Spiridon (Kislyakov) and others. Until 1928 he served in the church of the VLCM. Barbarians in the bell tower of the Church of St. Nicholas the Good in Podol, then in the Transfiguration Church on Pavlovskaya Street. He officially joined the TOC in 1928, when, among 6 clergymen, he sent a letter to the Metropolitan of Kiev. Michael, protesting against his Declaration (analogous to the Declaration of Metropolitan Sergius), to-rye announced their severance of relations with the Sergians and joining the bishop. Dimitri (Lyubimov). He enjoyed great prestige among the intelligentsia. 1930 - sent abroad material about the existence of the movement of true Orthodoxy in the USSR. Before his arrest, he was the leader of the Kiev Josephites. 10/14/1930 - arrested. 11/23/1930 - transferred to Butyrka prison, where he spent 1 year. 09/03/1931 in the case of the All-Union Center "True Orthodoxy" by the Collegium of the OGPU was sentenced to death with the replacement of 10 years in camps. 1937 - was in exile, kept in touch with priest. Evgeny Lukyanov from Kiev. The further fate is unknown.

Zagorovsky Nikolai, archpriest. - in 1941, after serving a five-year sentence in Solovki, he lived in the town of Oboyan, Kursk region. After the capture by the Germans, he returned to Kharkov, performed services in his own house. 1943 - left the city together with the retreating troops, soon died in Przemysl on the border with Poland.

Ivanov Dimitri, archpriest - Rector of the Church of the Intercession Women's Monastery in Kiev. The spiritual son of Archim. Optina nectarius. He enjoyed great authority among the monastics. 1928 - as a representative of the Irpen and part of the Gomel clergy, he formalized their joining the TOC in Leningrad at the Bishop. Dimitri (Lyubimov). 1929 - appointed bishop. Demetrius Dean. In Irpen he was followed by priest. Victor Davidovich and nuns of the monastic community that existed in the village. He had extensive long-distance connections. 1931 - arrested. As one of the leaders of the "counter-revolutionary organization True Orthodox Church", he was sentenced to 5 years in a concentration camp. 1933 - released and sent to Arkhangelsk. Buried at the Novoye cemetery in Arkhangelsk.

Ivakhnyuk Sergiy, priest. - Josephite priest s. Ossitnyazhki in Ukraine. 1928 - arrested and exiled to Siberia. He was replaced by Priest Sergiy Melnikov.

Ignatius, hieromonk (in the world of St. John) - ordained in 1925, until 1930 served in the village. Uglyanets of the Voronezh region. In 1930 he was arrested and served in the camps for 25 years (until 1955). Then he was sent to the Pot'mensky invalid home, from where his relatives took him to Uglyanets. He became a monk with the name Ignatius in 1955. Served the Catacomb Church in Voronezh and other regions. He was annexed to his diocese by the archbishop. Leonty Chileysky. Died 01/18/1972 at the age of approx. 84 years old.

Hierotheos, bishop Nikolsky (Athos) - consecrated in 1923 by Patriarch Tikhon in Bishop. Shadrinsky. 1924-1928 - bishop Nikolsky, vicar of the Vologda diocese. Joined the Josephites. 1928 - wounded in the head during arrest, taken to the hospital in Veliky Ustyug, where he died.

Hilarion, bishop Smolensk (Belsky) - consecrated 10/14/1924 by Patriarch Tikhon in Bishop. Kargopolsky. 1926 - Porech Department. 1926-1927 - Smolensk Department. 1929 - arrested together with the Metropolitan. Joseph (Petrov) and other bishops, exiled to the Solovetsky concentration camp.

John, Archbishop. Riga and Latvian (Ivan Andreevich Pommer) - b. 01/06/1876 in the Vendensky district of the Praulene parish in Latvia. 1903 - took monastic vows. 1904 - graduated from the Kiev Theological Academy, hieromonk. 1907 - Rector of the Lithuanian Theological Seminary, Archimandrite. 1911 - consecrated in bishop. Slutsky, vicar of the Minsk diocese. 1912 - administrator of the Minsk diocese. 1912-1913 - administrator of the Odessa diocese. 1913-1917 - bishop Taganrog. 04/22/1918 - Bp. Penza, archbishop. Arrested, spent in prison approx. years, sentenced to death, pardoned. 1921 - Archbishop of Riga and All Latvia, by the decision of Patriarch Tikhon and the Holy Synod enjoyed broad canonical independence. He openly opposed the Bolsheviks and was repeatedly subjected to attempts on his life. Kept in touch with the Catacomb Church in Russia. 10/12/1934 - after torture, he was killed at his dacha on Kish-Lake approx. Riga as agents of the Bolsheviks.

Joasaph, bishop Bakhmutskiy and Donetskiy (Popov). 1925 - retired, lived in the city of Novomoskovsk, Dnepropetrovsk district. November 1928 - in Leningrad he met with Bishop. Dimitriy (Lyubimov) and joined the Josephite movement. He nursed the Josephite parishes in the Donbass - in the Artyomovsk (Bakhmut) district; from Sept. 1930 - in s. Nikolaevka; prayer house at st. Khanzhovka. From the summer of 1929 he took care of the Josephite community in the town of Rykov, Stalin's district. 1929 - the "buevs" communities in the Voronezh, Donetsk, Dnepropetrovsk, Podolsk dioceses and the North. Caucasus. 1930 - the number of communities he cared for reached 70, including 23 in Ukraine. 01/16/1931 - arrested in Novomoskovsk together with Archimandrites Peter (Poloznyuk) and Seraphim (Kravtsov). As one of the leaders of the "counter-revolutionary organization True Orthodox Church", he was sentenced to 5 years in a concentration camp.

Joasaph, bishop Chistopolsky (Ivan Ivanovich Udalov) - genus. 04/05/1886 in Ufa in a merchant family. 1910 - graduated from the Kazan Theological Academy with a PhD in Theology. He was tonsured a monk and ordained a priest, Archbishop. Anthony (Khrapovitsky). 07/11/1920 - Metropolitan is consecrated. Cyril (Smirnov) in bishop. Mamalyshsky, vicar of the Kazan diocese. 05/16/1924 - arrested in Moscow. 05/21/1926 - exiled to the Turukhansk region for 3 years. After leaving he returned to Kazan. 1931 - arrested in the case of "the counter-revolutionary organization of the True Orthodox Church." 01/05/1932 - sentenced to 3 years in a concentration camp. 01/26/1934 - the term of imprisonment was extended by 2 years. After his release he lived in Kazan. Not accepting metropolitan. Sergius, was out of staff, served in secret. Metropolitan helped. Cyril, who is in exile. 1937 - arrested. 11/29/1937 - sentenced to be shot. 12/02/1937 - shot in Kazan.

Job, bishop Ufa (Yakov Ivanovich Grechishkin) - ordained bishop, Archbishop. Andrey (Ukhtomsky) approx. 1926, before that he was a hieromonk in the Kuban diocese. In 1927 he came to Ufa, served in the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross. He ordained many priests, mainly hieromonks, who served the flock of the Catacomb Church in different parts of Russia. Now there is no one left alive. In 1924 he was tried in Maykop, exiled to Ufa. In Ufa he was arrested in 1930. He died in the camps.

Job, hieromonk (Protopopov) - lived in the village. Belo-Bezvodnoy near the Raif desert. Was a liaison between Archbishop. Dimitri (Lyubimov) and bishop. Nectarium (Trezvinsky). March 1930 - shot.

Joseph, bishop Virsky. 1929 - arrested together with the Metropolitan. Joseph (Petrov) and other bishops.

Joseph, Met. Petrogradskiy (Ivan Semyonovich Petrovykh) - one of the main ideologists of the catacomb movement. Rod. 12/15/1972 in Ustyuzhin, Novgorod province. Since 1901 - hieromonk. Since 1903 - Master of Theology, extraordinary professor and inspector of the Moscow Theological Academy. 03/15/1909 consecrated in bishop. Uglichsky. Since 1920 - a member of the Holy Synod. Since 1926 - Met. Leningradsky. 01.24.1928 - together with the Yaroslavl bishops, he signed an act of departure from the metropolitan. Sergius. He headed one of the movements of the confessors of Orthodoxy, which received the name "Josephite". 1929 - arrested together with other bishops and exiled to the Ustyug district of the Novgorod province. Arrested, exiled to Kazakhstan. 11/20/1937 - shot in the prison in Chikment together with Met. Cyril (Smirnov) and bishop. Evgeny (Cobranov).

Kvasnitsky Boris, priest. - one of the active representatives of the Josephite movement in Kiev. 09/20/1928 - expelled from the church of the Vvedensky women's monastery for a sharply negative attitude towards the Declarations of Metropolitans Sergius and Mikhail. He served in the Intercession Church in Podil. He enjoyed authority in the Podolsk diocese, Vasilkovsky and Belotserkovsky districts of the Kiev district. In 1929-1930, under his influence, the rector of the church in the village of Joseph joined the Josephites. Old Pozdnyaki priest. Nikita Smoliy, village priests from near Chernobyl and Radomysl Nikolai Sokolovsky and Fr. Euthymius, Fr. Dimitri from Vasilkov and Fr. John from Kursk. He was one of the organizers (together with priest L. Rokhlitz) of the catacomb movement in Podillya in the West. Ukraine with the center in the village. Palanka of Trostyanetsky district. January 1931 As one of the leaders of the "counter-revolutionary organization of the True Orthodox Church", he was sentenced to 5 years in a concentration camp. arrested. As one of the leaders of the "counter-revolutionary organization True Orthodox Church", he was sentenced to 5 years in a concentration camp.

Kvitkin Makariy Feodorovich, archpriest - genus. in 1882 in the city of Orsk, Orenburg province. 1904 - married, worked as a teacher. A few years later he graduated from the theological seminary and was ordained a priest, served in the villages of the Orenburg region. 1925 - the second priest in the church in Vorstadt. After the publication of the Declaration, Metropolitan. Sergius, immediately stopped his commemoration, was supported by the majority of the parishioners. 1930 - the temple is closed by the authorities. January 1931 - arrested. 04/01/1931 killed (possibly by gas) in the GPU of the city of Orenburg among a group of Orenburg priests.

Kirillov Seraphim, archpriest - headed together with Fr. Nikolai Tolmachev, the Josephite movement in the Donetsk region in Ukraine. Obeyed Bishop. Pavel (Kratirov). 1931 - arrested and repressed.

Claudius, archim., (Konstantin Safronovich Savinsky) - b. in 1882 in the village. Snetovka of Podolsk lips. in a peasant family. Until 1925 he lived in Kiev. An inhabitant of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. 1920 - took monastic vows. 1923 - hieromonk. 1927 - in the rank of hegumen was sent to the Lavra courtyard in Leningrad. 1928 - Metropolitan left the courtyard because of the rejection of the Declaration. Sergius, served in the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ ("on the blood"), served the parishes of Joseph, tonsured into monasticism. 1929 - Archimandrite. He actively participated in the life of the Josephites in the Ukraine, came every summer for several months to Kiev, brought messages from the archbishop. Dimitri (Lyubimov). 1930 - according to some information, secretly ordained bishop. 12/27/1930 - arrested, sentenced to 5 years in the camps. 1936 - freed, he settled in Novgorod. From 1938 he lived in Leningrad in an illegal position. 1941 settled in the attic of a house in Kolomyagi (outskirts of Leningrad), where there was a catacomb temple. 06/17/1942 - arrested. 08/12/1942 shot together with A.F. Chistyakov and nun Evdokia (Deshkina).

Clement, archim. (Zheretienko) - rector of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. 1925 - deported to Kharkov. 1927-1928 - announced the departure from the Metropolitan. Sergius. Recognized by the Lavra monks of the TOC as the actual abbot of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. He died in 1930.

Horse Vasily, priest. - Rector of the Ilyinsky Church on the outskirts of Kiev. In 1930 in Kharkov he joined the bishop. Pavel (Kratirov).

Korolchuk Benedict, priest. - served in the city of Ananiev, Odessa region. in Ukraine. 1929 - with the entire community passed to Bishop. Pavel (Kratirov).

Kotovich Antony, archpriest - Dean of the Joseph Deanery of Alexandria, Zinoviev Diocese in Ukraine. March 1928 - joined the bishop. Alexy (Buy). It was followed by the overwhelming majority of the deanery parishes. There was no church in Alexandria itself; he served together with Fr. John Shvachko and priest. Nikifor Bryukhovetsky in apartments. After the arrest of Bishop. Alexy became subordinate to Bishop. Maxim (Zhizhilenko). Soon after that, the OGPU was arrested, the reason was the anti-Sergian literature found during a search, which he transferred to Glinsky Dean of Priest. Simeon Ryabov. After imprisonment, he was exiled to the city of Yeniseisk, in the second half of the 1930s he was shot.

Krasnokutsky Anthony, priest. - Ukraine, Kharkov and Kharkov region, Bogodukhov, served in 1944. Non-remembering. An admirer of Stefan (Podgorny), monk of the Spaso-Evfimievsky Suzdal Monastery (movement of "Stefanovites" or "Podgornovites"). He did not obey the management of Sergius (Stragorodsky) and Alexy (Simansky), a supporter of Metropolitan. Peter (Polyansky) and Agafangel (Preobrazhensky). / Former archive Oktyabrsky. Fund 46-48, inventory 3, file 5, p. 104 /.

Levashov Pavel, priest - genus. 12/09/1873 in the town of Chernaya Gryada, Cherepovets district, Novgorod province. He was ordained deacon and priest by his mother's brother, Misail (Krylov), bishop. Mogilevsky. He served in Gomel. Until 1914 - made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Organized pilgrimages to Optina Pustyn, Kiev and Sarov. Had 7 children. Would be the spiritual child of Elder Nectarios of Optina. 1927 - arrested, released and arrested again. Exiled to the city of Kozlov, then to Ranenburg, to the city of Mezen by the White Sea. 1934 - released, returned to Gomel. 1937 - arrested, further fate is unknown. Catacomb parishes of "Levashovites" have survived to this day in Gomel and the surrounding area.

Lesik Macarius, priest. - rector of the church in the village. Ladyzhino to Zap. Ukraine. July 1930 - Bp. Joasaph (Popov) appointed Dean of the Josephite parishes in West. Ukraine instead of priest. Macarius Nechievsky. 18 Jan – 17 Feb 1931 - arrested.

Lehan Nikita Avksentievich, priest - genus. in 1893 in the Poltava region. 1923 - priest in the Dnepropetrovsk diocese, served in the village. Ovsyuki of Cherkasy province. After 1927 - arrested and convicted. After his release from prison, the Metropolitan refused to recognize the Declaration. Sergius, for which he was again convicted. During the German occupation he served openly. After the arrival of Soviet troops, he was arrested again - he was offered to serve on the condition of joining the Communist Party. Sentenced to 25 years, was released in 1955 by amnesty. After his release, without a place to live, he ended up in Moldova, where he was again arrested, but soon released. After long ordeals, he came to Kharkov and organized a catacomb parish. As the ruling bishop, he commemorated the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad. He did not take a Soviet passport - from the documents he had only the last certificate of release. He took care of the Catacomb Christians from Siberia, Central Asia, Chuvashia, Central Russia and other places. Died 07.12.1985. Fr. Mikhail Rozhdestvensky.

Lissitzky John, priest. - 1929 - rector of the church in the village. Petrovsky in Ukraine. Was subordinate to bishop. Paul (Kratirova).

Lukyanov Eugene P., priest. 07/06/1933 - released from Belomorbaltlag, returned to Kiev, worked as a stove-maker at a school. For 4 years he led an active illegal church activity, nourished the members of the community priest. Anatoly Zhurakovsky. He served in apartments at the Solomenskoye cemetery. 1937 - kept in touch with exiled priests: A. Zhurakovsky and A. Boychuk. 06/12/1937 - arrested. 10/09/1937 - sentenced to death by the troika of the Kiev regional department of the NKVD of the Ukrainian SSR. 10/16/1937 - shot. After the arrest, the secret services of the Josephites continued at his apartment.

Macarius, archim. (Velichko) - the governor of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. 1927-1928 - announced the departure from the Metropolitan. Sergius. He lived in Kharkov. 16-17.01.1931 - arrested. As one of the leaders of the "counter-revolutionary organization True Orthodox Church", he was sentenced to 5 years in a concentration camp. He died in the Svir camps.

Macarius, schiep. (Vasiliev) - nursed the Catacomb Church of the North-West of Russia. During the occupation of 1941–44, he established contacts with the Western European Diocese of the ROCOR. 04/14/1944 - killed in his cell in the Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechersky monastery.

Maxim, bishop Serpukhovskoy (Zhizhilenko) - the first catacomb bishop. Rod. 03/02/1885 in Kalisz, Poland. After graduating from the Faculty of Medicine of Moscow University, he worked in Sokolniki as a psychiatrist; in 1914 - a front-line doctor on the Austrian front; therapist-practitioner, then the head physician of the Taganskaya prison. In the beginning. 1920s secretly accepted the priesthood. Exiled to the North for 3 years. In 1924 - bishop. Ovruchsky; 1924–1925 - temporary administrator of the Zhytomyr diocese; 1928-1929 - bishop Serpukhovskaya; 1929 - arrested together with the Metropolitan. Joseph (Petrov) and other bishops and imprisoned in the Solovetsky concentration camp for 3 years. 02/18/1931 - shot in Moscow.

Mark, Bp. Zabaikalsky.

Matkovskie John and Peter, priests - served in the Elisavetgrad Joseph Deanery in Ukraine. 1930 - shot. At the same time, priest Tarasov, priest Sergiy Nenko.

Mechev Sergius, priest. - born on September 17, 1892 in Moscow in the family of priest. Alexy Mechev, rector of the church of St. Nicholas in Klenniki, on Maroseyka. 1919 - graduated from the History and Philology Department of Moscow University. 04/04/1919 - ordained a priest, ordination in the Danilov Monastery was performed by Bishop. Theodore (Pozdeevsky). He belonged to the Danilov group of confessors. His followers were called "swordsmen". 1929 - arrested, expelled from Moscow. 1932 - the church on Maroseyka, where he served, was closed. He died in 1941.

Miroshkun Dimitri, priest. - rector of the church in the village. Malye Kopani, Kherson region in Ukraine. Separated from the Metropolitan. Sergius, organized the center of the anti-Sergian movement. 1930 - arrested, sentenced to death.

Misail, hierodeacon (Stishkovsky) - lived in Chernigov. July 1936 - arrested on the denunciation of Sergian priests, accused of belonging to the True Orthodox Church. 07/02/1937 - by the decision of the troika he was sentenced to be shot, shot.

Michael, hieromonk (Korma)

Nazarius, hieromonk (in schema Nicodemus) - Monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra of the Golosievskaya Hermitage. After the closure of the Lavra in 1926, he settled in his homeland in the Sumy region. Served the Catacomb Church in Sumy, Kharkov and other regions. He was repeatedly arrested and served sentences. Served at night. At one time he was associated with Anatoly Glynsky, to-ry tonsured him into the schema. Died 02/13/1975 at the age of approx. 85 years old.

Nazarchuk Philip, priest. - Rector of the Church of the Archangel Michael in Akhtyrka. He belonged to the "Stefanov" communities of the CPI in Ukraine. 12/07/1931 - arrested due to refusal to give a subscription, which will not prevent the removal of the bells.

Nectarios of Optin, St. - even before the release of the Declaration of Metropolitan. Sergius, in the same summer of 1927 Elder Nektariy, in a conversation with professors Komarovich and Anichkov who visited him, called him Metropolitan. Sergius Renovationist. To the objection that the latter repented, the elder answered: "Yes, he repented, but the poison is in him." Elder Nectarius commanded his spiritual children: "Do not go to the Red Church."

Nectarius, archim. - Ukraine, Kharkiv and Kharkiv region.

Nectarios, bishop Yaransky (Nestor Konstantinovich Trezvinsky) - b. in with. Yatski of Vasilkovsky district of Kiev province. 1914 - took monastic vows. 1917 - graduated from the Kiev Theological Academy with a candidate of theology degree, hieromonk of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. 1920–1921 - rector of the cathedral in Yamburg, arrested. 1922 - released under an amnesty, sent to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. 1924 - Dean of monasteries and households in Petrograd. May 1924 - consecrated by Patriarch Tikhon in bishop. Vitebsky. December 1924 - Bp. Yaransky. 05/25/1925 arrested and sentenced to 3 years in the Solovetsky concentration camp. After serving his term, he settled in Kazan. Equipped a catacomb temple in his house. He secretly served, ordained priests. 1929 - arrested together with the Metropolitan. Joseph (Petrov) and other bishops. 08/30/1930 - arrested in the case of the "counter-revolutionary organization True Orthodox Church." 01/26/1932 - sentenced to 10 years in concentration camps. Sent to Prorvin camps. 09/08/1937 - sentenced to be shot.

Nechievsky Macarius, priest. 1930 - bp. Joasaph (Popov) appointed Dean of the Josephite parishes in West. Ukraine instead of the arrested Fr. Ferapont Podolyansky. 18 – Jan –17 Feb. 1931 - arrested.

Nikitin Grigory, priest - one of the leaders of the "Johannite" movement in the CPI in the West. Ukraine.

Nikitin, priest. - Served in the church of Nikola the Big Cross in Moscow. In the case "Counter-revolutionary organization, the True Orthodox Church" in 1930 was named one of the main leaders.

Nikolay, archbishop. Vladimirsky and Suzdalsky (Nikolai Pavlovich Dobronravov) - b. in 1863 in the Moscow province. in the family of a priest. 1885 - graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy. 1889 - priest of the Perm Cathedral. 1892 - Archpriest, Master of Theology. 1918 - after the death of his wife he became a monk, archimandrite. 08/13/1921 - consecrated in bishop. Zvenigorodsky. 1923 - Archbishop of Vladimir and Suzdal. 11/10/1925 - arrested in the "Case of Metropolitan Peter." 1926 - in exile, then in retirement in Moscow. 12/10/1937 - shot in the village. Butovo, Moscow region Author of many articles on theological and church issues.

Nikolay, bishop Vyaznikovsky (Nikolsky). 10/09/1921 - 07/19/1926 - occupied the Yelets department. 09.1927–04.05.1928 - Vyaznikovskaya department. He belonged to the Danilov group of confessors. 1928 - died in Moscow.

Novosyolov Mikhail Alexandrovich - genus. in 1864. St. right. John of Kronstadt, Optina elders. The spiritual son of Archbishop. Theodore (Pozdeevsky). 1912 - honorary member of the Moscow Theological Academy. According to some information, in 1923 he was secretly ordained bishop by Patriarch Tikhon with the name Mark. 1928 - arrested, served 10 years as a political isolator, then exiled to Siberia. After 1938 there is no information about him.

Orlov, priest. - was the dean of Joseph in Odessa. The deanery included: in Odessa - Archpriest. Alexander Vvedensky ("Botanical" Church); in Ananiev - priest. Venedikt Korolchuk; in with. Mutykhi of the Shevchenko district - hieromonk Faddey (Tarasenko); in with. Matthias - Hieromonk Gudail and Dosifei. In 1927–31 there was a secret church in the village. Belvederes of the Novoarkhangelsk region.

Paul, bishop Starobelsky (Kratirov). 1922 - Bp. Starobelsky. 1923 - temporarily at the Yalta department, then again at Starobelsk. 1925 - lived in Kharkov with a recognizance not to leave. 1928 - officially announced the separation from the Metropolitan. Sergius. He is the author of 3 works widely spread across the country denouncing the Metropolitan. Sergius. 1928 - became subordinate to bishop. Dimitri (Lyubimov) and, along with Bishop. Alexy (Bui), began to care for the CPI in the Kiev and Kharkov regions. During the summer of 1928, 20 Sergian communities joined it. 1929 - arrested together with the Metropolitan. Joseph (Petrov) and other bishops. 1929 - it is strictly forbidden to travel outside the aisles of Kharkov. 1930 - after the arrest of Bishop Demetrius, took over the care of all the Kiev Josephites. 16-17.01.1931 - arrested in the case of the "counterrevolutionary organization True Orthodox Church", as one of the leaders was sentenced to 10 years in a concentration camp. 01/05/1932 - died in a prison hospital.

Paul, hieromonk(Belyaev) - belonged to the Danilov group of confessors. 1936 - came from Moscow to Syktyvkar to see Archbishop. Theodore (Pozdeevsky).

Paul, hieromonk (Troitsky) - belonged to the Danilov group of confessors. In the 1930s he lived in the town of Maly Yaroslavets.

Paul, priest. - secretly served in Kharkov. He died after being hit by a train. The spiritual children passed on to Fr. Nikita Lehan. Buried in Kharkov.

Pavlov Theodore, priest. - the head of the "Stefanov" communities of the CPI in Donbass. He served as the rector of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross prayer house in the town of Debaltsevo, he served the communities in Makeyevka, Stalino, Slavyansk, Verekhnyansk, Artyomovsk, Rovenki, etc. 10/17/1930 - arrested. After the arrest, the community was cared for by the monk Anthony (Chernov) and priest. Mitrofan Dus from Khanzhonovka station. As one of the leaders of the "counter-revolutionary organization True Orthodox Church", he was sentenced to 5 years in a concentration camp.

Palladium, hierom. (Gichka) - hieromonk of the Kiev Feofanovsky monastery. Kept in touch with the Josephites in the West. Ukraine. 1930 - participated in a mass demonstration of residents of the village. Dobrinsky Kharkiv district. Summer 1930 - served in the village. Lukashevka to Zap. Ukraine. 18 – Jan –17 Feb 1931 - arrested along with other Podolsk Josephites - priests M. Lesik, M. Nechievsky, S. Dziubinsky, P. Yusupov, hieromonk Tikhon (Burdeyny). During the arrest, the priests Vasily Dubinyuk, Pavel Matskevich, Ilarion Podopriga managed to escape.

Parokonev Konstantin - rector of the church in the village. Arkhangelsk Kherson District in Ukraine, previously served in the Iosiflyansk Zinovievsky District. January 1931 - referred to as a Josephite priest.

Parthenius, bishop Ananevsky (Bryanskikh) - 05/29/1921 - 12/10/1925 - bishop. Ananievsky, vicar of the Odessa diocese. 05/29/1921–1923 - temporarily ruled the Odessa diocese. 12/10/1925 arrested in the "Case of Metropolitan Peter." 1926-1930 / 32 - lived in the Danilov Monastery in Moscow. He belonged to the Danilov group of confessors. Mentioned in the indictment in the case of Metropolitan. Cyril from 19.08.33 as an "active figure in the CPI". He died in June 1938.

Pachomius, Archbishop. Chernihiv (Peter Petrovich Kedrov) (brother of Archbishop Averky and Bishop Michael) - b. 07/30/1876 in the city of Yaransk, Vyatka province. in the family of a priest. 1898 - took monastic vows. 1900 - graduated from the Kazan Theological Academy. 1905 - Archimandrite. 08/30/1911 - consecrated in bishop. Novgorod-Seversky. 1916 - Bp. Starodubsky. 1917 - Bp. Chernihiv. 11/10/1925 - arrested in Moscow in the case of Metropolitan. Peter (Polyansky). 1927 - exiled to Solovki. 1929 - Released. 11/29/1929 - Archbishop. The Metropolitan stopped commemorating. Sergius and together with Archbishop. Averkiem sent him an accusatory message. 10/15/1930 - arrested. 11/04/1930 - imprisoned in a concentration camp for 5 years by the decision of the troika. He served on Solovki and Belomorkanal. September 1937 - released, acting the fool. 11.11.1937 - died in a hospital for the insane in the city of Kotelnichi, Vyatka region.

Petin Peter, priest - Josephite priest, arrested in January. 1931 in the city of Bogodukhovka in the Ukraine. During the arrest, the letters of Bishop were found. Vasily (Zelentsov), to-rye he distributed.

Peter, Archbishop. Voronezh (Vasily Konstantinovich Zverev) - b. 02/18/1878 in Moscow, the son of an archpriest. 1900 - accepted monasticism. 1902 - graduated from the Kazan Theological Academy. 02/15/1919 - consecrated in bishop. Balakhninsky, vicar of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese. 1920 - ep. Staritsky. 1922-1924 - in exile in Central Asia. Dec 1925 - Archbishop. Voronezh and temporary administrator of the Moscow diocese. 02/16/1926 - arrested and exiled to Solovki, where he died as a martyr (frozen). 01/26/1928 - funeral service by the clergy of the camp.

Peter, schiep. (Ladygin) - being archimandrite of the Athos Andreevsky compound, he brought Patriarch Tikhon a letter confirming the recognition of his patriarchate from the Ecumenical Patriarch. Archbishop was ordained bishop. Andrey (Ukhtomsky) and Bishop. Lev Nizhnetagilskiy in 1925 at Tejan station (Tajikistan) during his exile. 1925-1928 - Bp. Ufimsky. The scheme was adopted in 1927 after the Declaration of Met. Sergius. In 1927-1957 he served the Catacomb Church. He was arrested in 1930. Died 07.02.57. in Glazov (Udmurtia).

Petrov Nikolay V., archpriest - Professor of the Kazan Theological Academy, rector of the Theological Institute. 08/31/1930 arrested in Kazan in the case "Counter-revolutionary organization True Orthodox Church."

Piskanovsky N., archpriest. 1927 - lived in exile in Kharkov, then in Voronezh. Kept in touch with Fr. G. Seletsky in Ukraine. I came to Poltava. Was in the canonical subordination of bishop. Alexia (Buya).

Pitirim, bishop Nizhny Novgorod

Podgorny Vasily, priest. - the grandson of the elder monk of the Spaso-Evfimievsky Suzdal Monastery Stefan (Podgorny), who had many admirers. 03/19/1922 - deacon. 09/10/1922 - priest. 1924 - led the movement within the Orthodox Church of the "Stephanovites" or "Podgornovites". Appointed bishop Alexy (Buy) Dean of the Sumy Church District. 1928 - transferred from the Ilyinsky Church p. Ugro-eaters in the Andreevsky temple in Sumy. The movement of "Stefanovites" gradually swept over the Kupyansky District, Donbass, Taganrog. Only in the Sumy region was approx. 20 parishes. 10/13/1930 - 13 leaders of the "Stefanovites" were arrested, including Fr. Basil. As one of the leaders of the "counter-revolutionary organization True Orthodox Church", he was sentenced to 10 years in a concentration camp.

Podolyansky Ferapont, priest. - headed the catacomb movement in Podillya to the West. Ukraine. 1928 - rector of the church in the Ladyzhenskaya settlement. 1928–29 - meetings of the clergy who did not accept the Declaration were in his apartment. Autumn 1929 - together with 5 priests, he became subordinate to Bishop. Joasaph (Popova), appointed by him dean. March 1930 - arrested in the Ladyzhenskaya settlement, sent into exile together with priest. Alexander Lototsky.

Polycarp, archim. (Soloviev) - belonged to the Danilov group of confessors. 1920-1927 - Governor of the Danilov Monastery. OK. 1935 - Visited Archbishop. Theodore (Pozdeevsky) in Vladimir. Spring 1936 - Visited Archbishop. Theodora in Syktyvkar. 1937 - arrested, was in the same case with Archbishop. Theodore (Pozdeevsky) and schema-archim. Simeon (Kholmogorov). Autumn 1937 - shot in the Ivanovo prison.

Popov Andrey, priest., brother Bp. Joasaph (Popova) - in 1930 he lived in the city of Novomoskovsk, Dnepropetrovsk district. He left for the Caucasus.

Popov Anthony, archpriest - Dean in Ukraine, 1928 - filed a petition to join the diocese of the bishop. Paul (Kratirova). After that he was arrested and exiled to Biysk.

Popov Grigory, archpriest - OK. 1929 - Dean of the Izyum District of Iosiflyan in Ukraine. Was subordinate to bishop. Alexia (Bui).

Prozorov Nikolay, priest. - genus. 05/19/1897 in the village. Pokrovskoe-Borisenkovskoe of the Nizhnelomsky district of the Penza province. From the clergy. Participated in World War I, was wounded 4 times. 1918 - arrested as a former officer. 1919 - priest. 1924 - arrested. 1927 - with his wife and 3 children moved to the village. Shreds, on the outskirts of Petersburg. Archbishop. Dimitri (Lyubimov) in the Panteleimon Church on Piskaryovka. He was the "right hand" of Vladyka Demetrius. 08/03/1930, together with Archpriest Sergiy Tikhomirov, was sentenced to death. 08/21/1930 - shot in the basement of the prison on Shpalernaya in Leningrad.

Procopius, Archbishop. Kherson and Nikolaev (Peter Semyonovich Titov) - genus. 12/25/1877 in the city of Kuzminsk, Tomsk province. in the family of a priest. 1901 - graduated from the Kazan Theological Academy, candidate of theology, became a monk, hieromonk. 1909 - Archimandrite. 08/30/1914 - consecrated in bishop. Elisavetgrad, vicar of the Kherson diocese. 1923-1926 (?) - was on Solovki. 1924-1925 - bishop Kherson. 11/10/1925 - arrested in the "Case of Metropolitan Peter." May 1927 - exiled to Turkul. 1928 - was in the city of Kem. 1928 and 1930 - was in exile in Obdorsk. The further fate is unknown.

Rozhdestvensky Izmail Vasilievich, priest. - 25.02.1928 arrested. In 1937 he was arrested 3 times, exiled to Siberia and shot.

Rozhdestvensky Mikhail Vasilievich, priest. - genus. in 1901. Metropolitan was ordained a priest. Joseph (Petrov). At the end of 1929 he was arrested and sent to the construction of the White Sea-Baltic Canal. Released in 1938 without the right to live in capital cities, he lived illegally in St. Petersburg. During the war, during the blockade, he continued to live in St. Petersburg without the right to receive food. In 1943 he was arrested, on the occasion of the breakthrough of the blockade, the death penalty was replaced by 10 years in the Vorkuta camps. After the expiration of the sentence, another 10 years were added. In 1955, due to his "dystrophic state", he was released on bail to his son in Pechora, where he lived for 2 years in a dugout and served in a house church. In 1957 he moved to the Bryansk region, continuing to remain under supervision, secretly performed divine services. In 1962 - a search and the threat of arrest, the strictest warning to stop the services - from that time on he stopped regular services, mainly performing services in different cities and towns due to the depletion of the catacomb priesthood. During the Chernobyl disaster in 1985, he was with spiritual children in Belarus, which finally undermined his health. Died 09/27/1988 in St. Petersburg.

Rossinsky Nikolay, archpriest - headed the Elisavetgradkovsky deanery in the Zinovievsky district in Ukraine. He served as rector of the Kazan Church in the village. Elisavetgradka, joined the archbishop. Dimitri (Lyubimov). 1928–30 - his deanery had 8–9 parishes. 01/15/1931 - arrested among the 16 priests of the Zinovievsky district, who were then involved in the case of the True Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

Rokhlits Leonid, priest. - Rector of the Intercession Church in Podol in Kiev, in which Fr. Anatoly Bobrov and Fr. Boris Kvasnitsky. One of the active leaders of the Josephite movement. He was joined by the hieromonks of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra: Agapit (Zhidenko), Erasmus (Prokopenko), Martyry (Slobodenko), Theogniy (Derkach), Apollonius (Canonical) and other monks - they recognized Archimandrite as the abbot of the Lavra. Clement (Zheretienko). On his recommendation he was sent to come to the village. Kuban Tulchinsky district priest. Hilarion Podoprigora. In 1931 he was arrested.

Samolyuk Ippolit, priest. - served in the village. Side Dolinsky district in Ukraine. He was a member of the Ingulets deanery of the Josephlian parishes. 1930 - accused by the authorities of organizing a mass anti-Soviet armed uprising of peasants on the basis of a grain procurement campaign. 01/16/1931 - arrested by the OGPU among 10 Josephites.

Seletsky Gregory, archpriest (Hegumen John) - b. in 1885 in the family of a priest. Studied at Moscow and Göttingen universities. He fought at the front. 1926 - sent by the bishops of Ukraine to transfer metropolitan. Sergius that they only agree to a Declaration of the "Solovetsky Epistle" type. 1926 - exiled to Kharkov. 1927 - openly opposed the Declarations of Metropolitan. Sergius and Metropolitan. Mikhail (Ermakova). 1928 - became subordinate to bishop. Dimitri (Lyubimov). He lived in Kharkov. He was the administrator of the Iosiflian Elisavetgrad (Zinovievsk) diocese. From 1928 he took care of, among others, the Poltava Josephites. 1929 - in Zinovievsk (Elisavetgrad diocese), he was in charge of the Peter and Paul Church with a clerk: Archpriest. Nikolai Vinogradov, priests Platon Kupchevsky, Pavel Dashkevich, John Lyubavsky, Victor Ognevtsev, deacons Mikhail Donne, Azbukin. 1930 - at a secret meeting, it was decided to recommend him for secret consecration as a bishop of the Catacomb Church (failed). 16-17.01.1931 - arrested in the case of the "counter-revolutionary organization True Orthodox Church", as one of the leaders was sentenced to 10 years in a concentration camp. He served a sentence in Temnikovsky and then in the White Sea camps. During World War II, he became close to Bishop. Benjamin (Novitsky) and with him refused to flee to the west. He was arrested. After his release, he lived near the Pochaev Lavra and served at home. He died in 1971. Bp. Benjamin blessed him to perform a funeral service in the temple of Kremenets. He was buried in the city cemetery.

Seraphim, Archbishop. Uglich (Semyon Nikolaevich Samoilovich) - genus. 07/19/1881 in the Poltava province. 1905 - took monastic vows. 1912 - hegumen, archimandrite. February 15 (?) 1920 - consecrated in bishop. Uglichsky, vicar of the Yaroslavl diocese. 1924 - elevated to the rank of archbishop by Patriarch Tikhon. 12/29/1926–1927 - Deputy Patriarchal Locum Tenens. 1928 - arrested, exiled from Yaroslavl to Mogilev. 1929 - arrested together with the Metropolitan. Joseph (Petrov) and other bishops, sentenced to 3 years, imprisoned in the Solovetsky camp. 1933 - sentenced to 3 years of exile. 1934 - sentenced to 5 years in a camp. OK. 1934 - as the predecessor of Metropolitan. Sergius (Stragorodsky) in the position of Deputy Patriarchal Locum Tenens, by his decree banned him from serving, which was also supported by other bishops. The conclusion was served in the Kemerovo camps. 11/09/1937 - shot in the camp.

Seraphim, archim. (Klimkov) - belonged to the Danilov group of confessors. In the 1930s he took care of the catacomb flock in Kirzhach and Moscow.

Seraphim, bishop Dmitrovsky (Nikolai Ivanovich Zvezdinsky) - b. 04/07/1883 in Moscow. 1909 - hieromonk. 01/03/1920 - consecrated by Patriarch Tikhon in Bishop. Dmitrovsky. Until 1932 he lived in Melenki. 1932 - arrest, exile to Kazakhstan (Uralsk, Ishim). 1937 - sentenced to 10 years in prison without the right to correspond. 06/11/1937 - shot in the Ishim prison among a large group of clergy.

Seraphim, hieromonk(in the world Daniel) - was born in Kharkov in 1875. He was tonsured with the name Seraphim in honor of Seraphim of Sarov. Metropolitan was ordained a priest. Anthony (Khrapovitsky). After the publication of the Declaration, Metropolitan. Sergius left the monastery and lived in an apartment. 1937 - arrested and sentenced to 3 years. 1946 - arrested again and sentenced to 7 years. During the trial in Kiev, a parish was offered on the terms of the adoption of the Declaration. Upon his release, he illegally ministered to the parishes of the Catacomb Church. He died in 1955. After his death, some of the parishioners passed to Fr. Nikita Lehan, some still live without the care of a priest under the name of "Seraphimites".

Sergiy, Bishop Buzuluk (Nikolsky). 04/05/1925 - consecrated by Patriarch Tikhon in Bishop. Ephraim (last consecration of the patriarch). After 1927 - Bp. Buzuluk. 1929 - arrested together with the Metropolitan. Joseph (Petrov) and other bishops. The further fate is unknown.

Sergius, bishop Narvsky(Druzhinin) - was the abbot of the Sergius Hermitage near Petrograd, archimandrite. October 1924 - consecrated by Patriarch Tikhon in Bishop. Narvsky. 1926-1927 - Bp. Koporsky, vicar of the Leningrad diocese. 1927 - Bp. Narvsky and Koporsky. 12/26/1927 - broke off relations with the Metropolitan. Sergius (Stragorodsky). One of the leaders of the Josephite movement. 1929 - arrested. After the arrest of Bishop. Dimitri (Lyubimova) became the leader of the Josephite movement (in particular, in Ukraine). 1930s - tortured to death in the dungeons of the NKVD.

Sim, hieromonk (1890-1965) - was exiled to an eternal settlement in Togutin, Novosibirsk region. An ascetic, had many spiritual children, was in active correspondence with them, teaching mainly asceticism and internal work.

Simeon, schema. (Kholmogorov) - belonged to the Danilov group of confessors. Archbishop was very close. Theodore (Pozdeevsky). 1930 - after the closure of the Danilov Monastery, he lived in an apartment in Moscow. 1933-1937 - lived in Vladimir. He led the life of the Catacomb Christians in the city of Kirzhach. 1937 - he was arrested; Theodore (Pozdeevsky) and Archimandrite. Polycarp (Solovyov). Autumn 1937 - shot in the Ivanovo prison.

Sinitsky Gregory, archpriest - enjoyed great authority in the city of Nikolaev. 10/01/1928 - separated from Archbishop. Anatoly (Grisyuk) and Metropolitan. Sergius (Stragorodsky). He served in apartments. The rector of the church in the village was associated with him. Transplantation of the Nikolaev district priest. Elijah Takovila. 01/15/1931 - arrested in Nikolaev, including 11 people, 6 of them, including: Fr. G. Sinitsky, I.I. Pavlovsky, S.F. Vorobyov were held in the collective case of the True Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

Skadovskiy John, archpriest - Dean in Kherson. He did not recognize, together with the clerk of the cathedral: priest. Dimitri Miroshkun, Hieromonk Athanasius and Protodeacon Mikhail Zakharov appointed to the Kherson See Archbishop. Anatoly (Grisyuk), instead of the confessor Archbishop. Procopius (Titova). He served in apartments. He nourished believers in Kherson and surrounding villages. His views in the Kherson region. supported priest. D. Miroshkun, priest. from. Novo-Zburyevka Kirillov. 01/15/1931 - arrested, together with priest. M. Zakharov and 5 other nuns and laymen were involved in the case of the True Orthodox Church in Ukraine. Condemned to 5 years in a concentration camp.

Smaragd, abbot (Chernetsky) - lived in Chernigov. July 1936 - arrested on the denunciation of Sergian priests, accused of belonging to the True Orthodox Church. 07/02/1937 - by the decision of the troika he was sentenced to 5 years in the camps. He did not return from the link.

Sokolov V.P., priest. - Metropolitan joined the Josephites after the interview. Sergius from 02/15/1930. 05/22/1930 - met with bishop. Pavel (Kratirov). He lived in Zinovievsk in Ukraine, served in apartments. Kept in touch with Fr. A. Zhurakovsky. 01/15/1931 - arrested among the 16 priests of the Zinovievsky district, who were then involved in the case of the True Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

Spiridon, archim. (Kislyakov) - served as the rector of the Transfiguration Church on the street. Pavlovsk city of Kiev. Since the autumn of 1927, Metropolitan has actively opposed the policy. Sergius (Stragorodsky). The former Athos monk, founded the brotherhood of the Sweetest Jesus in Kiev, was actively engaged in missionary work, shepherding, widespread charity, religious and journalistic creativity, published several of his books. Patriarch Tikhon awarded him with the service of the Liturgy with the Royal Doors open. Enjoyed great popularity among the people. Priests supporting it also served in the Transfiguration Church: A. Zhurakovsky, E. Lukyanov and A. Boychuk. Died 09/11/1930 from a heart attack.

Spiridon, hieromonk (Piunovsky) - belonged to the Danilov group of confessors. In the 1930s he lived in Arkhangelsk.

Stephen, archim. (Safonov) - belonged to the Danilov group of confessors. 1927-1929 - abbot of the Danilov monastery. He directed the life of the Catacomb Christians in the city of Klyazin. Autumn 1937 - shot in the Ivanovo prison.

Stephen, bishop (Beck). 10/09/1921 - consecrated in bishop. Izhevsky. 1921-1923 - Diocese of Izhevsk, then Kirov, then again Izhevsk and again Kirov.

Timothy, hieromonk (Nespovorov) - genus. in the city of Asha, Chelyabinsk region. in 1894. With the blessing of Archbishop. Andrey (Ukhtomsky) in 1925 was ordained to the priesthood. Peter (Ladygin). 1930 - arrested, escaped 4 times. He served 19 years. His family - his mother and 5 children - was very poor. After his release in 1948, he took monastic vows with his mother. With the blessing of schiep. Peter took care of the catacomb community in Tashkent. In 1951, together with other members of the community, he was arrested and sentenced to 25 years. He was imprisoned for 6 years, in 1956 he was released. I came to Asha with the blessing of the schiep. Petra traveled to different cities and villages of Russia, serving the Catacomb Church. He died in 1975.

Tikhomirov Sergiy, archpriest - genus. 06/11/1872 in the village. Globitsy Peterhof district in a hereditary spiritual family. 1896 - priest, served in the village. Kozlov Bereg Gdovsky district, then in the village. Klopitsy of the Peterhof district. 1905 - moved to St. Petersburg. 1915 - Archpriest. 1923 - arrested. 1924 - supernumerary cleric of the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ "on blood". 01/15/1927 - a member of the secret brotherhood of St. Seraphim of Sarov. Archbishop. Dimitri (Lyubimov). 1929 - arrested, spent 9 months alone. 08.21.1930 - shot in the basement of the prison on Shpalernaya in Leningrad, together with priest. Nikolai Prozorov.

Tikhon, archim. (Balyaev) - belonged to the Danilov group of confessors. Graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy. 1929-1930 - abbot of the Danilov Monastery. He died in Kharkov in 1952.

Tikhon, bishop (Tikhomirov) - 04/04/1920 - consecrated in bishop. Cherepovetsky. 1920-1924 - Cherepovets Department 1924-1927 - Cyril Department. 1928 - temporarily managed the Uglich department.

Tikhon, hieromonk (Vasily Nikolaevich Zorin) - in 1927 he pursued asceticism in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, then lived in Novgorod. OK. 1937 - went into an illegal position. He spent 15 years in prison. After liberation, it is forbidden to live in Moscow or Leningrad. He settled in the village. Akulovka, Novgorod region, where catacomb Christians from Central Russia, Sukhumi, Ukraine gathered. Died 01/31/1976. After his death, the St. Petersburg community passed to Fr. Mikhail Rozhdestvensky.

Tolmachev Nikolay V., archpriest - headed together with Fr. Seraphim Kirillov, the Iosiflyan movement in the Donetsk region in Ukraine. Obeyed Bishop. Pavel (Kratirov). January 1931 - arrested. As one of the leaders of the "counter-revolutionary organization True Orthodox Church", he was sentenced to 5 years in a concentration camp.

Troitsky Nikolai, archpriest - Rector of the Seraphim Church in Kazan. 08/31/1930 arrested. 1937 - arrested together with Bishop Joasaph. Chistopolsky. 11/29/1937, together with Bishop. Joasaph sentenced to death. 12/02/1937 - shot in Kazan.

Theodore, archbishop. Volokolamsky(Alexander Vasilievich Pozdeevsky) - genus. 03/21/1876 in s. Makaryevsky, Vetluzhsky district, Nizhny Novgorod province. in the family of a priest. 1900 - graduated from the Kazan Theological Academy with the degree of candidate of theology, hieromonk. 1903 - Master of Theology. 1909 - rector of the Moscow Theological Academy. 09/14/1909 - consecrated in bishop. Volokolamsky. 1917–1930 - rector of the Moscow Danilovsky Monastery. 1920 (1921) - arrested, was in the Taganskaya prison. 06/08/1923 - released. 04/16/1924 - arrested again and imprisoned in Butyrka prison. 06/19/1925 - sentenced to 3 years for expulsion to Kirkrai (?). 1930s - exiled to the Zyryansk region. Jan. 1933-1935 - lived in Vladimir. 1935 – May 1935 - he lived in Arkhangelsk, during this period the Cathedral of the Catacomb Bishops took place there. Presumably, the Epistle of Archbishop Seraphim (Samoilovich) on the prohibition of Metropolitan. Sergius (Stragorodsky) and the basic documents were developed, the content of which is not known. 1935 - lived in the village. Tentyukovo in Ust-Sysolsk (Syktyvkar). A strict monk and ascetic, an expert in patristic theology and canon law, he was highly respected among the bishops. He headed one of the movements of the confessors of Orthodoxy, called "Danilov", which included: Bishop. Amfilohiy (Skvortsov), bishop. Grigory (Kozyrev), bishop Grigory (Lebedev), bishop Nikolay (Nikolsky), archim. Simeon (Kholmogorov), archim. Polycarp (Soloviev), archim. Stefan (Safonov) and others. He considered the Sergian church without grace. 10/23/1937 - shot in the Ivanovo prison.

Theodore, priest. - a Josephite from the Pskov churchyard of Kamenka. He took his wife from the prison hospital in the 1930s in Saratov. He died in 1934.

Fedorchuk Partheny, priest. - Josephite priest of St. Nicholas Church with. Petrovo Dneprpetrovsk diocese. I corresponded with Archim. Varsonofy (Yurchenko).

Theodosius of Jerusalem, hieroschemamonk - genus. May 16, 1841 in Perm in a poor family. At an early age he entered Mount Athos in the monastery of the Position of the Belt of the Mother of God. 1859 - tonsured a monk. Sent from the monastery to Constantinople at the courtyard "Russian hospice of the position of the belt of the Mother of God". After 5 years of service, he visited Jerusalem. 1879 - returns to Athos. 12/14/1897 - hieromonk. 1901 - ran a monastery on Athos. He returned to Jerusalem and accepted the schema. Returned to Russia; the only identity document is a certificate issued at ordination signed by the Ecumenical Patriarch Joachim III. He settled in Chelyabinsk. 07/06/1912 - temporarily settled at the Kavkazskaya station. 12/16/1915 - Member of the Dubrovinsky Union of the Russian people. He founded a hermitage 27 km from the city of Krymsk, in a gorge near the Dark Buki monastery. 1925, Good Friday - arrested, sent to the North into exile. 1931 - released, settles in the town of Mineralnye Vody. He belonged to the Catacomb Church - secretly served, performed services, tonsured into monasticism. In order not to communicate with the Sergian church, he accepted the feat of foolishness. He died in 1948. The rite of burial was performed by an unknown catacomb priest.

Feoktist (Privalov), hieromonk - lived in Irkutsk, served the Catacomb Church. Died 01/13/1978.

Fomenko Nikolay, archpriest. 1923 - Dean of the former Kryvyi Rih Vicariate in Ukraine. 01/13/1929 - entered the subordination of bishop. Alexia (Buy), he was appointed dean of the Ingulets deanery of the Josephlian parishes. He served in a private house, because his temple in with. Isrovke was closed. Then he served in the Intercession Church with. Gurovka, Dolinsky district. There were 17 parishes in his deanery. He sent to Bishop. Alexy Grigory Przhegalinsky for ordination. After the arrest of Bishop. Alexis, subordinate to Archbishop. Dimitri (Lyubimov). 01/16/1931 - arrested by the OGPU among 10 Josephites.

Former true Christians who apostate and joined the "Sergian" church.

Lawrence, Schema-Archimandrite (Luka Evseevich Proskura);

Luke, archbishop. (Voino-Yasenetsky);

Seraphim, Archbishop. (Sobolev);

Sventsitsky Valentin Pavlovich, archpriest;

Athanasius, bishop (Sergey Grigorievich Sakharov).

“1 Every soul must obey those in power: there is no power if not from God, but the real power is from God.

2 However, resist the authority, resist God's command: those who resist themselves accept sin. " Rome. 13

“… There is no power if not from God…” -… it is not power, if not from God… From God, is power determined by its fruits (works), as the Savior taught (Matt. 7:16, 20). The authorities from God do everything for the welfare of the people of God and for their protection.

"19 Sacrifice to God the spirit is broken; the heart is broken and humbled God does not destroy." Ps. 50

“32 Do not be afraid, little flock!
for your Father was pleased to give you the Kingdom. " Luke. 12

"13 But he who endures to the end will be saved." Mt. 24

GUIDE: LIVING COMMUNITIES

Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church

in apostatic and apocalyptic conditions of various forms of persecution, persecution and physical pressure

This Guide regulates the daily life of the members of the communities of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church in accordance with their conditions.

This Guide was written on the basis of many years of experience of the existence of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church - the Church of Christ - on earth, which was formed from the experience of Orthodox Christians who lived at different times in different areas of the once united Russian Empire and in different conditions. This experience includes both living in times of persecution and in times of prosperity of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church, therefore this Guide is written in such a way as to cover, whenever possible, all possible cases.

This Guide is not an immutable dogma of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church, therefore givenManual - with the exception of the “Theological and dogmatic substantiation and canonical structure of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church. The Prayer Sword of the Svyatorusskaya State ", ie. the practical part of it, periodically edited:complementarythere is, refinedthere is, excellenceeats contente and phraseologistsi - any faithful member of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church has the right to submit for consideration any comment, amendment or improvement in relation to this Guide.

1. Theological and dogmatic foundation and canonical structure of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church. Prayer sword of the Holy Russian Empire

2. Church authority, hierarchy, governance

3. Confession

4. Community life without hierarchy

5. About divine services

6. About the language of worship

7. Community. Community leadership. Priest

8. Closedness and conspiracy of communities

9. Acceptance into the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church and excommunication from church communion

11. Institute of Wandering Priests

12. About Spiritual Guides

14. About barber and hair

16.On the performance of priestly rites

17. About the sacrament of baptism

18. About the sacrament of anointing

19.On the sacrament of repentance

20. About communion outside the church

21. About marriages

Holy church Christ's, Church Christ's - One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church.

Orthodox Russian Church, of which the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church is an organic part - part of the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church (Holy Church of Christ, Church of Christ).

1. Theological and dogmatic foundation and canonical structure of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church. Prayer sword of the Holy Russian Empire

1.1. The Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church is an integral part of the Orthodox Russian Church and is part of the United Holy Catholic Apostolic Church of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, founded by Him on earth.

1.2. The Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church is Catholic, as it consists of its various members, united into one Body of Christ. Conciliarity means the Spiritual unity of all members of the earthly Church with each other and with the Church Triumphant in Heaven, headed by Christ the Lord. (Hebrews 12: 22-24).

1.3. This Church is Apostolic, as founded by the Lord on His holy disciples and Apostles, and as preserving in itself apostolic grace and apostolic succession.

1.4. The Church of Christ on earth, called the militant, has only one main goal - to save her children from sin, the power of the spirits of evil, hell, eternal torment and death, to sanctify them with the word of truth and the sacraments of the Church, to reconcile and unite everyone with the Lord God, to prepare to an eternally blissful life in the Kingdom of Heaven.

1.5. In its life, the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church is based on the teachings and commandments of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, set forth in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments and in the Holy Tradition of the Church; on the teaching and tradition of the holy Apostles of Christ, apostolic men and holy fathers of the Church; on the decrees of the seven Ecumenical and eleven Local Councils of the Church, adopted by Her in the leadership and canonical rules of the holy fathers.

1.6. The Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church attaches great importance to Spiritual and grace-filled manifestations in the church community and the inner life of each of its members, preventing Her from becoming a formal religious institution with external regulation, empty piety and ritualism.

1.7. All our holy fathers, beginning with the Reign of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine the Great, prayed clearly and clearly only for the Tsar's God-established Power. In apostolic times, there were even prayers for the health of pagan emperors, who for the most part persecuted Orthodox Christians. And if they prayed for the health of the persecutors, it is all the more necessary to pray sacredly for the Orthodox Sovereigns, who are the defenders of all piety and purity.

1.8. Our Lord Jesus Christ clearly says that it is necessary to render Caesar what is Caesar's, that is, it is necessary to respect the Royal Power, since it is given by God Himself. In this sense, if we open sensible prayer books, then SO our ancestors understood this commandment of Christ. And there is no other meaning in it. You just need to pay tribute to Caesar, that is, the King, the Emperor of the Roman Empire, and this is correct, as well as glorify God Himself. "By me kings reign and the mighty write the truth," says the Lord. And again, these Words of God sound modern, just like the entire Holy Scripture is modern.

1.9. As for the Holy Apostles, they simply, literally, have already given us a direct instruction that we should honor the King of the earth and pray for Him as for the Lord's Anointed Christ. “I pray you, first of all, do prayers, supplications, petitions, thanksgiving for all people, for the Tsar and for everyone, who are in power, but let us live a quiet and silent life in all piety and purity: this is good and pleasant before our Savior God ... "(1 Tim. 2: 1-3) I am of the same mind in this with the Holy Apostle Paul and the Holy Apostle Peter, who brings to us the commandment, obligatory for all Christians:" Fear God, honor the king ... "(1 Peter 2:17)

1.10. A deep theological meaning is extracted from the Royal prayer order, in which there is a direct indication that the Lord Himself justified the Blessed and Christ-loving Tsar to reign on earth. This is spelled out in the Eucharistic prayer immediately after the exclamation: "Fairly about the Most Holy ...". If we turn to the beginning of Matins, then in the Theotokos, after the Royal Psalms, we read in black and white: "... establish the Orthodox residence, save our Blessed Emperor, you have commanded Him to reign, and grant Him victory from Heaven, you have given birth to God, the Blessed One." The Lord Himself justified Him, the KING, to reign on earth, and the Most Holy Theotokos commanded Him, the KING, to do the same.

1.11. Sometimes you can hear that the Tsar is gone now, which means that there is no need to pray for Him, but this is a strategic mistake, since He is in the Royal Rite and abides in him as a word. And this is not an easy word. It lives and acts on hearts. You cannot erase this word from the prayer text, since it already defines Our Orthodox Faith by the fact of its existence. This can be felt at least in the fact that at the end of Vespers and Matins, the Holy Mother of our Church sings: "Reaffirm, O God, the Most Pious, Autocratic Great Sovereign of our EMPEROR ... and the Holy Orthodox Faith, Orthodox Christians, in the age of the century." Let us pay attention to the fact that at first the Autocratic Imperial Power is affirmed by the Church, and then the Holy Orthodox Faith. The meaning is clearly visible - only with the Emperor can the Holy Orthodox Faith be confirmed.

1.12. Having refused to pray for the Tsar, since 1917 all of Russia has been leaving her father as the Gospel Prodigal Son.

1.13. Only the pre-revolutionary Royal Order can become the only bridge that will connect us with God. By building this bridge, we will truly repent. It will be a prayerful return to the Great Russian Empire to our dear Fatherland. To all that is so lacking now.

1.14. In modern self-imposed - by the criminals and apostates invented - liturgical texts, there is no prayer for Victory, for the State, for the Christ-loving army. But all this is in our native canonical Imperial rank. Self-discipline is precisely what separates us from God - after all, whole textual semantic pieces have been removed from the modern self-written text of the Divine Liturgy! And what is the current modern rank? - it is like a leaky sheet. Imagine a sheet with holes in it, and it becomes immediately clear that there is a modern prayer order!

1.15. There are very correct and capacious words from Holy Scripture that fully reflect what is happening now at the Divine Liturgy - the abomination of desolation in a holy place. On the sacred vessel, which is consecrated in the Name of the Most Holy Trinity - the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the diskos is not given a particle for the Emperor! It would seem how small! Just think, some kind of particle! But this is not a small thing, honorable fathers. This is exactly the cornerstone that the builders rejected and which became the head of the corner. In 1917, the earthly Christ was rejected, and the Great Empire - the Third Rome - collapsed. A small particle was rejected, and how much blood was shed whole rivers of human blood! Don't we believe that the Divine Liturgy is the Service of the Lord, but a change in which it is reflected in the entire Universe! There is no mention of the King and the Holy Antimenses - here's another desolation!

1.16. And the Orthodox Church still sings: “Lord, save the godly and hear us - this is a paraphrase (Ps.19: 10) Lord! Save the King and hear us when we cry out to You. " The clear meaning of this Church prayer can be traced, first save the Tsar, and then hear us. Thus, everything is very simple, that without praying for the King, the Lord will not want to hear us, since we grieve Him that we do not honor our father. And since all our Sovereigns are the Fathers of the Russian people chosen by God, we are obliged to honor them. After all, the King of Kings Himself and the Lord of Lords shares His Holy Name with our Emperors. The Almighty Himself says about this: “And God said to Moses: thus say to the children of Israel: The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, sent me to you. This is My Name forever, and remembrance of Me from generation to generation. " (Exodus 3:15).

1.17. At the end of the hours, the reader says: “In the name of the Lord, bless us, Father,” while the Priest blesses with the following words: With the prayers of our saints, our father, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. It turns out it is in our fathers, the heads of our people that the Holy Name of God is manifested. It turns out that, on a proskomedia, if you don't take out a particle for the Emperor, it's the same as not glorifying the Name of God. We take out the particles for ourselves, but for the Holy Name of God - no! In addition, if we create desolation in a holy place, we are also revolutionaries, since arbitrarily ignoring, and in fact rejecting the Tsarist power, each time we make a mystical revolution on the diskos, which by the way means a manger, Golgotha, and then the Holy Sepulcher. If we begin to pray according to the Royal Order, then before God we are no longer revolutionaries, but people faithful to the Lord. The service of the Royal Liturgy is the only correct choice that an Orthodox priest can still make.

1.18. The royal rite of prayer is also important in that it is alien to various implications that appeared after the apostasy events of 1917, as a result of perjury. There was no great lord or other lords in the Royal prayer order. In general, it is only through the Royal Holy Order that one comprehends who in the Orthodox Russian Church is the real Lord, that is, the HEAD of the Church as well as of the entire State. According to the imperial rank, this is the ANOTHER OF GOD, or, which is the same thing, CHRIST THE LORD, the Autocratic Tsar. Our pious ancestors built the Kingdom of the Earth as an icon of the Kingdom of Heaven. The earthly king was a living icon of the heavenly King.

1.19. The will of Christ pervades both Heaven and Earth. Therefore, we find an interesting and salvific answer for ourselves in the prayer of the Lord's Father: "Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name, let Thy Kingdom come: Thy will be done, as in Heaven and on earth ..." That is when the Name of God the Father is sanctified from our side, then the kingdom will also come on earth.

1.20. We call the Lord Father, Christ and King. “To the Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Soul of Truth ...” - we turn with prayer to the Holy Spirit. Therefore, respect for the God-established Royal Power is direct respect for God Himself! He who does not honor the Anointed of God does not honor the ANOINTED them. Pleasing the Lord, therefore, must be prayerful. The prayer pattern is the one that was already set in tsarist times. THERE WAS AN OVERALL NUMBER OF SAINTS PRAYING IN HIM.

1.21. The Tsar's Prayer Chin is the prayer sword of the Holy Russian Empire!

2. Church authority, hierarchy, governance

2.1. The principles of government in the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church are determined on the basis of Her holy canons, taking into account the signs and peculiarities of our time. According to the conditions of the time, in the administrative part, not all canons can be fully applied to the conditions of persecution and the ultimate retreat of unprecedented scope and force. For this reason, one should, at the same time, be guided by the pre-Nicene models of the church life of Christians in the 1st-3rd centuries, with inevitable amendments and additions in accordance with the requirements of our recent times.

2.2. The basis of our piety should be the like-mindedness, unanimity and brotherly love commanded by the Apostles.

2.3. Anyone who shies away from mutual communication, not because of doubts about faith, virtue, or, fearing a provocateur, but simply because of self-will - such is subject to a conciliar court.

3. Confession

3.1. Every faithful member of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church must be ready for many different sorrows, deprivations, imprisonment and confessional deed up to death for Christ and His Church.

4. Community life in aboutlack of hierarchy

4.1. Due to the absence in any locality of the canonical hierarchy of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church, one should be guided by the following rule: “If bishops are taken away from faithful Christians, then elders, deacons and monastics and other church people will gather. If faithful Christians run out of priesthood in general, then may the Holy Spirit be with them, who will teach them how to resolve all the issues that have arisen in the spirit of True Orthodoxy. "

4.2. The Holy Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church believes that the canonical Hierarchy in It will not finally become scarce until the Lord comes in His second and glorious Coming, therefore She determines: “If the clergy runs out, the faithful are charged with the duty of not leaving church services at all and even seeking until the death of a true Priest. "

5. About divine services

5.1. With regard to divine services in the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church, it is recommended to move away from the cumbersome, magnificent, pompous and deliberately concert services, and strive for the simplicity and spirituality of the services of the persecuted ancient apostolic Church.

5.2. The main and main divine service of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church in remembrance of the passions and death on the cross of our Savior Jesus Christ, as well as His Last Supper, is the Divine Liturgy with the sacrament of the Eucharist or the Liturgy with the self-communion of the laity with Spare Holy Gifts.

Divine Liturgy and other services, molebens in the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church are performed by rites that took place before the apostasy events of 1917.

5.3. Public worship is one of the most important Christian virtues, through which eternal salvation is achieved. In common prayer, the Spiritual unity of all members of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church is best expressed with each other and with God, therefore all true Christians should strive for such mutual communication, sanctified by the invisible presence of Christ and the grace-filled action of the Holy Spirit (Ps. 144, 18; Matt . 18, 20).

5.4. Frequency of services in the community:

• on Sundays, holidays and solemn days not to omit services without a good reason;
• obligatory: Saturday - evening, Sunday - Divine Liturgy;
• additionally: festive, prayer services.

The community determines the time of the commencement of services independently.

5.5. In the secret, persecuted by the Antichrist, deserted Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church, there are not always conditions for the performance of public worship. Often Christians remain completely cut off from the clergy and their brothers and sisters in Christ - then they can read the Liturgical texts alone, according to the sacred rite. In the absence of the necessary Divine service books, these texts can be replaced by reading the Psalter or other available prayers, and can also be replaced by the Jesus Prayer:

• for the evening - 100 Jesus prayers and 25 bows;
• for Compline - 50 and 12 bows;
• for midnight office - 100 and 25 bows;
• for the morning - 300 and 50 bows;
• for the 1st hour - 50 and 7 bows;
• for the 3rd, 6th and 9th hours - 50 Jesus prayers and 7 bows each;
• for fine - 100 and 10 bows
• for the canon to the Mother of God with the Akathist - 200 and 29 bows;
• for the canon to the Guardian Angel - 50 and 7 bows.

5.6. According to the existing conditions of the persecution of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church in some areas:

• One should refrain from ringing bells, religious processions and street processions with candles; loud singing; Photographing or filming (without the blessing of the Priest), as well as anything that can somehow give out the place of the meeting of the faithful.
• Open storage of church utensils, liturgical books, Holy Gifts, holy relics and other shrines is not recommended.
• None of the outsiders should not only be present at the common prayer of faithful Christians, but also know about the place of their meetings.

The secrecy of meetings must be strictly observed by all members of the community.

5.7. The place for public worship in underground and semi-underground communities is chosen by the Christians themselves and is performed “in private houses and other accommodations adapted to this”, as well as in forests and mountains. This need is due to the fact that all open churches built before 1917 on the territory of the former Russian Empire are now seized by representatives of the godless government in the person of the dominant antichrist, apostasy heresy, and empty churches built before 1917 under various pretexts are not transferred to the communities of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church.

6. About the language of worship

6.1. In the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church, the language of divine services is the sacramental Church Slavonic language.

6.2. In the communities of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church, if necessary, the teaching of the sacramental Church Slavonic language should be provided.

7. Community. Community leadership. Priest

7.1. The community of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church is a society of true Orthodox Christians, united by a single faith in Christ, prayers, sacraments, rituals and church discipline, for whom the service of God is living according to the Commandments of God, and the practice of rituals is a component of such living.

7.2. The basis for the formation of a community of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church is the consent of at least two true believers who have expressed their desire to join the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church.

7.3. No meeting can be called the Community of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church, if it is not accepted into canonical communion with the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church by means of the proper rite performed by its faithful member, approved by the current Bishop (priest). Only those who are accepted in this way can visibly and spiritually belong to the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church.

7.4. Clergy - clerics and clergymen of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church. Cleric: 1. Clergy: Priest, Deacon; 2. - Clergymen: the main ones - a reader, singer, subdeacon; auxiliary - the regent, the altar man and the like, who are included in the clergy and help the clergy during the divine services.

7.5. A community that has in its composition 2 or more faithful Christians capable of active participation in church house-building can elect a candidate for clergy. When elected to the clergy, according to the ancient custom, preference is given to candidates from the communities.

7.6. The spiritual and general leadership of the community is carried out by the Abbot, and in the absence of the clergy, by the monastic or Spiritual Instructor from among the laity, who can be candidates for the clergy.

The abbot of the community is the Priest. The abbot possesses all the fullness of Spiritual authority, but he does not rule Christians solely at will, but in accordance with the truth and the faithful members of the community, that is, strictly conciliarly.

7.7. The economic activities in the community under the general supervision are managed by the headman, who provides:

• arrangement of a temple or a place of worship;
• the presence of church utensils and sacred vessels;
• Liturgical books;
• timely procurement of prosphora and wine;
• a sufficient amount of incense, coal, candles, oil;
• cleanliness and order;
• other.

7.8. The proclaimed ones do not participate in the management of the community and cannot decide anything, but must learn from the Orthodox faith.

7.9. In a community that is numerous in composition (more than 10 people), a parish council is elected for its management, to which the Abbot is accountable for his actions.

The participation of laity in church government, however, does not exclude their obedience to their pastors in social activities and, especially, in Spiritual matters, in accordance with the commandment: “Younger ones, obey the pastors (ie, the elders); yet, submitting to one another, clothe yourself with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. " (1 Pet. 5, 5).

8. Closedness and conspiracy of communities

8.1. In the modern godless former Russian Empire, communities, if local conditions require it, should be closed from outside, as long as the antichrist godless power, the apostate church and persecution exist on Russian soil. If the community acts illegally, but openly, then it does so under its own responsibility. Such congregations have a semi-clandestine or open status and may engage in missionary activities.

8.2. The community should not strive for communication and rapprochement with other communities or clergy, besides their own, not caused by circumstances and necessity. One should be very vigilant and beware of the provocations of the godless authorities, always striving to destroy the Church of Christ. Internal relations in the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church should be kept secret and limited to a minimum, so as not to lead them on the trail of the enemies of Christ. Communication between the clergy and communities of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church is carried out only by specially authorized confidants - "messengers", chosen for this ministry from the tried and tested Christians.

8.3. All originals of documents that are of great importance for the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church and Her children should be carefully preserved and protected. To hand over such documents to heretics, apostates or atheists is a grave crime before God, for which he who committed such a sin will be held accountable at the Last Judgment.

9. Acceptance into the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church and excommunication from church communion

9.1. The Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church, being in persecution, does not set as its goal wide missionary activity, but, first of all, is concerned with preserving the continuity of the grace of the Holy Spirit, bestowed on Her from the Lord. But the servants of the antichrist do not always and not everywhere with the same force persecute the Woman-Church, fleeing into the wilderness from the face of the serpent (Rev. 12, 6, 14). At times, according to the providential look of the Lord God, the persecution weakens, although it does not stop completely, and a kind of "silence in heaven, as it were, for half an hour" (Rev. 8: 1). This short time is given to complete the number of those who are being saved (Rev. 6, 11).

9.2. Faithful Christians of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church, according to the book of "Revelation" and the tradition of the ancient Church of Christ, are called saints (Rev. 13, 7, 10; Acts 9, 13, 32). This name does not mean their lifetime canonization or a level equal to the ancient saints, but testifies to their desire, goal and aspiration - to achieve holiness, as well as the presence of holiness, in comparison with apostate Christians.

9.3. The saints with great caution and foresight should accept into communion those who wish to join the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church, while it is necessary to understand and remember that the Antichrist power is making attempts to introduce its agents into the communities of the faithful Christians in the Church of Christ in order to neutralize and eliminate true Christians, so that the preachers of truth could not bear the saving faith of Christ, exposing sin, lies and all the abominations of the atheists.

9.4. The reception of those wishing to join the community of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church is carried out only on the recommendation of one of the faithful members of this community, with the consent of all its other members, and is approved by its Rector. Outside, who want to join the number of believers, must be carefully tested by a prolonged trial and accepted by the Priest according to the report of the entire community. Anyone who wants to join the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church, in addition to observing the general order, is obliged to accept the doctrine of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church and this Guide.

9.5. Admission to the community is preceded by a preliminary test (moral and doctrinal) and the rite of censure. If a newcomer approaches the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church from atheism, then the usual rite of censure is performed; if it comes from some kind of disbelief, heterodox, or schism, then a special rite of renunciation of this or that false teaching and false teachers.

9.6. The heresy called "Sergian" includes not only representatives of the structure created by the apostate and heresiarch Metropolitan Sergius Stragorodsky, but also all structures and trends that originated from the robber Sobor of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1917-1918, and from the apostate Patriarch Tikhon (Bellavin), the destroyer Orthodox Russian Church. In fact, none of the people coming from various church structures can be considered a faithful Christian. Such is accepted into the Church only as a repentant representative of apostasy.

9.7. The term for the announcement of a newcomer is determined by the Rector of the community and depends not on time, but on behavior (Apostolic Tradition, XVII).

9.8. Baptism in the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church is performed only by full threefold immersion (Apost. 49, 50). The person being baptized must have two, or at least one, recipient from the faithful members of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church, who undertakes to personally be present at the baptism. Absentee acceptance is not valid. At baptism, the presence (if special circumstances do not hinder this) of all members of the community is desirable, for baptism is the sacrament of entering the Church of Christ, of which they are witnesses.

9.9. Pouring baptism is not allowed, except, in extreme cases, on the deathbed, and is performed by pouring three times over the whole body of the baptized person, and not some of its members.

9.10. If there is any doubt as to whether a newcomer has been baptized, such a person should be baptized (Karf. 83) without using the formula “if he has not yet been baptized,” since no sacrament can be performed conditionally.

9.11. A person accepted into full communion with the Church of Christ is issued a certificate of baptism or acceptance. It is approved by the Priest, the recipients, two witnesses and the head of the community.

9.12. Anyone wishing to join the community of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church must be aware the burden and pernicious action of the generic sin of oath-redemption, and consciously repent in the patrimonial sin of the Russian people - perjury - the violation of the Cathedral vow of the Russian people of loyalty to the reigning house of the Romanovs until the Second Glorious Coming of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, given with the Kissing of the Cross in 1613 A.D. .

9.13. Accepted into full communion undertakes in the face of the entire community to bring the "Vow of joining the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church" with an oath on the Cross and the Gospel about non-reporting, keeping the secret of the community, obedience to the canonical hierarchy and the Abbot of the community and observance of this Guide. 1 year newly baptized humbly learn church life without the right to vote.

9.14. People who smoke should not be baptized until the complete forgiveness of sin. The faithful who have fallen into this disease are excommunicated from Holy Communion. Those obsessed with the ailments of drunkenness or drug addiction should not be accepted into communication at all, until they completely abandon their addiction. The same applies to the possessed, possessed, mentally ill and generally insane, since such cannot always control their actions. They must be removed as socially dangerous elements that pose a constant threat to the Christian community. “If anyone has a demon, let him not listen to the words of doctrine until he is cleansed” (Apostolic Tradition, XV; see also Apostolic Canon 79). But if any of the aforementioned categories of persons sincerely desires salvation in the Church of Christ, then such can be vouchsafed to be made public, however, kept at a distance from Christians, and pray for their healing. If they are not healed, then may they be honored with holy baptism and communion only at their death (St. Tim. Alex. 2).

9.15. It is forbidden to baptize as non-humans: corpses, sodomites, transsexuals, homunculi, hermaphrodites (or in those gradually reborn), horned, hairy, tailed, six-toed, scaly, Siamese twins and others that have outwardly inhuman signs.

9.16. The final excommunication of the faithful occurs (except for the usual penances) only by the court of the parish council (if there is none, then by the court of the Superior and Christians), which is obliged to canonically substantiate its decision. Excommunicated in this way, if he considers this excommunication unjust for any reason, has the right to demand a trial from the Bishop in the presence of the Superior and witnesses. If there is no peace, and the community refuses to accept him again into communion, then the Abbot must give him a letter of leave.

9.17. Those who were announced are excommunicated by the decision of the Rector of the community.

9.18. The acceptance of excommunicated members back into communion is done through public repentance to the entire community. The repentant confesses his sin, after which Christians decide on his fate. Above the accepted one, who committed a sin, is read "Prayer over the one that is permitted from prohibition" (in the Book), and over the one who has fallen into apostasy, depending on the degree of the fall - "The second order and the charter of those who come from rejection to faith" deny, defiled and repentant "," The Charter of those who are perfect in age, the torments of the rejected and repentant "and" About those rejected by willfulness and repentant ") (in the Great Trebnik).

10. Test of those who come to the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church

10.1. “Everyone who comes in the name of the Lord will be accepted: but then, after checking him, you will know about him, since you will have an idea of \u200b\u200bthe right and the left. If the person who comes to you is really a stranger, help him as much as you can; but do not let him remain with you for more than two or, if necessary, three days. If he wants to live with you, being a craftsman, let him work and eat. And if he does not have a craft, you at your own discretion make sure that the Christian does not live idle among you. And if he does not want to do this, he is a Christ-seller: beware of those "(Doctrine of the 12 Apostles. Ch. 12).

10.2. Unauthorized transitions from one community to another, not caused by the circumstances of persecution, are prohibited for members of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church. If any of the faithful Christians migrates to another locality and wishes to join another community of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church, then he must present (if he had the opportunity to do so) a "representative letter" certifying that he is not devoid of ecclesiastical communion and is worthy acceptance (Apostolic Canon 12). The same applies to all Christians who are associated with other communities.

11. Institute of Wandering Priests

11.1. In connection with the persecution and lack of Priests in the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church, there are “itinerant Priests”.

11.2. Those wishing to receive the Priest are invited, first, to observe all precautions, to protect him from outside, to keep the secret; secondly, to have a room for worship (if such is planned), as well as to provide the priest with everything necessary.

11.3. Those who have been ordained during the existing persecution are not obliged to appear in public places in the robes of a cleric, but for a monk in the robes of a monk - while it is necessary for the world to be an example of meekness, tolerance and love, which is an example for us is our Lord Jesus Christ.

12. About Spiritual Guides

12.1. Having received one talent in holy baptism, a Christian is obliged to multiply it with virtues, through which the grace of the Spirit is acquired. By the power of grace, special gifts (charisma) are also revealed, such as: teaching, Spiritual guidance, eldership, etc.

“Serve one another, each with the gift that you have received, as good stewards of the many different grace of God” (1 Pet. 4: 10).

“The gifts are different, but the Spirit is the same; and the offices are different, but the Lord is the same; and actions are different, but God is one and the same, working everything in everyone. But everyone is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the benefit. One is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; faith to another, by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healings, by the same Spirit; to another miracles, to another prophecy, to another discernment of spirits, to another different languages, to another interpretation of tongues. Yet one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each separately, as He pleases. " (1 Cor. 12: 4-11).

These ministries do not require special dedication for their passage, but naturally flow from the single gift of apostleship received by a Christian in the sacrament of baptism. For baptism is the first hierarchical degree of initiation into the New Testament royal priesthood.

12.2. Due to the impoverishment of the priesthood, in the persecuted Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church, in accordance with ancient practice, there is the rank of Spiritual Mentor (in monastic communities his functions are performed by the Abbots), who acts as the Rector of the church community. The rank of the Spiritual Mentor corresponds to the ministries - presbyter (presbuteroV - Greek elder, elder), abbot (hgoumenoV - Greek. Mentor or leader), didaskal (didaskaloV - Greek teacher, teacher), head (proistamenoV) of a congregation where there is no Bishop.

12.3. The rank of Spiritual Instructor has a solid foundation in the history of the Church of Christ. Although Canon 64 of the VI Ecumenical Council prohibits the laity “to utter a word before the people, or teach, and so take on the teaching dignity”, this only applies to preaching in the temple, from the pulpit, when there are pastors clothed with holy orders, so that the laity do not illegally admire their power in their presence. But this is also a later establishment, since the ancient rule reads: “A teacher, if a worldly man will be, will be skillful with the word of teaching, and pure in temper, so let him teach. All will be taught by God ”(15 Apostle Paul). The history of the ancient Apostolic Church, as well as numerous examples from the lives of the saints, attest to us that the Gospel sermon was announced by all Christians, and not only by pastors and saints. This is confirmed with particular force by the existence of ancient Christian apologists and teachers of the Church: Justin the Martyr, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Tatian, Hermias the philosopher, Minucius Felix, Aristides the philosopher, Kvadrat, Athenagoras and others.

“And He appointed some as Apostles, others as prophets, some as Evangelists, others as shepherds and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of service, for the building up of the Body of Christ” (Eph. 4: 11-12).

“And God appointed others in the Church, firstly, Apostles, secondly, prophets, thirdly, teachers; further, to others he gave miraculous powers, also gifts of healings, help, administration, different languages \u200b\u200b”(1 Cor. 12, 28).

From these words of the Apostle Paul, it is obvious that in the Ancient Apostolic Church there were various ministries - evangelists (evangelists), whose functions were performed by readers, prophets, teachers (didascals) - which were associated with preaching, but not associated with ordination to the priesthood.

12.4. The division into “teaching church” and “student church”, characteristic of Roman papism, is rejected by Orthodox teaching as heresy.

12.5. The participation of the people of God in the teaching ministry is undeniable, for every member of the Church, and not only the clergy, is given the ability to understand and interpret Holy Scripture in accordance with the truth, and therefore to preach the Word of God.

“However, the anointing that you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you; but as this anointing itself teaches you everything, and it is true and false, that which he taught you abide in ”(1 John 2:27).

12.6. Since the apostolic times, the didascals existed in the Church as bearers of a special grace-filled ministry. The Church history of Eusebius of Caesarea (Book VI, 17-19) says: “The holy bishops, as soon as they found people who could benefit the brethren, they invited them to preach to the people. So did the blessed brethren in Laranda - Neon with Evelpides, in Iconium - Celsus with the Peacock, in Sinnad - Atticus with Theodore. This was probably the case in other places. " This proves beyond doubt that the ministry of the laity in the field of teaching was widespread in the ancient Christian society of the 1st-3rd centuries. Later, it ceased to exist as an institutional institution, as soon as the need for it disappeared, but found its manifestation in the institute of eldership and teaching.

12.7. The people of God are an integral part of the body of the Church, without which its existence would be unthinkable. In addition to teaching, the church people also perform the functions of government, intercession, that is, they directly participate in church government and economy in general, elect the clergy, regulate the life of the local community, have representation at Councils, etc. The oligarchic form of government in the Church of Christ is unacceptable in any of its manifestations, the only criterion in everything is truth and conciliarity in the Holy Spirit.

12.8. The Holy Book of the Bible in the prophecy of the prophet Jeremiah (19, 1) shows us, as it were, two threads that give grace from the one Sovereign God - the elders of the people and the elders of the priesthood. On this basis, the Apostle Peter calls the herders of Christ's flock elders.

“I implore your shepherds, a co-shepherd and witness of the sufferings of Christ and a participant in the glory that must be revealed: feed the flock of God, which you have, overseeing it not by compulsion, but willingly and God-pleasing, not for vile self-interest, but out of zeal, and not dominating the inheritance of God, but setting an example for the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive an unfading crown of glory ”(2 Peter 5: 1-4).

12.9. Elders, as the Spiritual leaders of the people, are spoken of repeatedly in the Old Testament (Ex. 3:16; 4:29; 12, 21). The elders of the people, that is, the elders, have been the legal representatives of the people since the time of Egyptian slavery. The Holy Spirit descended on them in the time of Moses so that they could lighten the burden of government (Numbers 11, 16). They are mentioned many times in the subsequent history of Israel, as retaining the same meaning that belonged to them in Egypt (Isa. Joshua 7: 6; 23, 2; 1 Sam. 3:17; 5, 3; 17, 4; 3 Kings 8, 1.3; 20, 7; 4 Kings 23, 1).

12.10. The Lord Jesus Christ in His Gospel says: “Salt is a good thing; but if the salt loses its strength, how to fix it? it is not suitable for soil or manure; throw it out. " (Luke 14, 34-35). Explaining these words, blessed. Theophylact on behalf of the Lord commands: “I wish that every Christian would be useful and strong to edify, not only the one to whom the gift of teaching was entrusted, such as the apostles, teachers and shepherds were, but I demand that the laity themselves be fruitful and useful for their neighbors ... If the one who serves for the benefit of others is himself unfit and leaves a state decent for a Christian, then he will not be able to bring benefit or receive benefit ... Therefore, as not serving for the benefit, not receiving benefit, he must be rejected and thrown away get out. " Moreover, these words should be attributed to Spiritual Guides and perpetrated elders.

12.11. In the Ancient Church, elders-presbyters ordained to the priesthood did not celebrate the Eucharist and other sacraments and did not engage in teaching, which was provided to the Bishops, prophets and didascals, but were engaged in other functions. In the Apostolic Tradition, St. Hippolytus of Rome (Ch. 9) contains a clear indication of non-ordained elders, however, having their dignity.

Confessors were often monks who did not have holy orders (during the period of the Ecumenical Councils). Confessors who did not have a holy dignity meet later. However, repentance was recognized in the Eastern Church as a free deed of every believer, who could choose for himself at the thought and desire of the Spiritual Father. Under such circumstances, the Confessors significantly rose above the ordinary parish clergy, who had not received the right to confession from the bishop.

12.12. The priests had no right to accept for repentance without the special permission of the Bishop. Therefore, the practice has now become established in the communities when, even with the presence of a Priest, it can be controlled by a Spiritual Guide or a perpetrated elder.

12.13. In the hierarchical relation in the Ancient Apostolic Church, the prophets and didascals were superior to the elders. Only from the end of the third century, the latter gradually began to be granted the right to teach and perform the sacraments.

12.14. From the works of the Holy Fathers, we know examples of simple people who know Spiritual affairs. Thus, the Monk John of Rila is a simpleton and was elected by the simpletons to abbess (Prologue, October 19). The Monk Alexander taught the Hellenes, baptized them, and was chosen by the common people to be hegumen (Prologue, February 23). The Monk Marcian was the Mentor of the people and was begged by the Patriarch Flavian of Antioch and Theodoret by the Bishop of Cyrus “to get him out of the wilderness for the benefit of many” (Prologue, November 2). The Holy Martyrs Florus and Laurus built a church and consecrated it themselves, singing the verses: "Glory to Thee, Christ God, praise to the Apostle ..." in the precursor to the Cross of the Lord (Prologue, Aug. 18).

12.15. Both men and women can be elected as Spiritual Mentors, as in women's monasteries, abbesses are elected. To this we have examples of holy wives equal to the apostles: Mary Magdalene, Thekla, Nina, the enlightener of Georgia, Princess Olga, etc.

12.16. Women Mentors do not perform ordinances, except for confession and baptism (in special circumstances). These ordinances are to be performed by other male faithful Christians.

12.17. A mentor or abbot elected according to the rules, without their own consent, cannot be removed by the community at will, but only for canonical reasons. However, the Mentor himself, with the blessing of the Hiereus and with the consent of the people, can give up the primacy in favor of a more worthy one.

12.18. So, in accordance with the most ancient practice of the Church, the Mentor is a Clergyman who is not clothed with a sacred dignity, but who has the full scope of Spiritual authority, given to him by the election of the church community and the confirmation of the bishop (if any). The Spiritual Mentor is hierarchically placed above the Priests and Deacons, since he has the dignity of the presbyter (elective elder) and didascal (church teacher), being the Confessor of the community. The mentor has the right to perform the holy sacraments (except for the Eucharist and ordination), the Spiritual judgment, to teach blessings with and without a cross according to the established order, to teach the people in moral and dogmatic terms, including from the church pulpit, to wear a cassock and skufia. The Spiritual Mentor, as a shepherd and Spiritual father, is the guardian of the church rules and the purity of the contents of the Orthodox teaching by the Church. He is obliged, according to the commandment of the Apostle, to feed the flock of God, "overseeing it not by compulsion, but willingly and God-pleasing, not for vile self-interest, but out of zeal, and not dominating the clergy, but setting an example for the flock" (1 Pet. 5, 2 -3).

13.1. Faithful members of the Church, as true Orthodox Christians, are prohibited from: being a member of the Communist Party and any godless political parties, Komsomol, pioneers, collective farms; in Masonic and semi-Masonic organizations; in pro-Sergian, new-style, ecumenical, heretical and apostate, nationalist, Islamic, pagan, neo-pagan, sodomite and amoralistic organizations; participate in the elections of the godless government, - for true Christians should be interested in the speedy destruction of "Babylon", and not in building it, so as not to undergo the same fate with the wicked (Rev. 6, 10-11; 18, 4-7).

13.2. It is forbidden for all the faithful to enter heretical or pagan educational institutions or to be teachers in them, as an exception, study or work in the above educational institutions is allowed, provided that they preach a sermon of repentance, - if such an opportunity is eliminated by the godless administration or the godless authorities, the faithful must leave the given educational institution. It is forbidden to engage in professional or amateur sports, all types of martial arts and "Spiritual" practices (excluding physical training for military operations, fishing and tourism, health-improving gymnastics), to participate in the Olympic Games; go to sports or theatrical performances.

13.3. The faithful are prohibited from being a sculptor or artist who produces idols and amulets, signs of the zodiac and other magical items, as well as work for apostate and heretical organizations. It is forbidden for the faithful to be an actor or giver in the theater, as well as a ridicule (Apostolic Tradition, XVI). All such and those named above will be rejected from the Holy Church, until they repent of their sin and leave it. Also prohibited: practicing oriental and occult medicine in general, any kind of ritual herbal medicine and preparation of potions, godless psychology and psychotherapy. It is forbidden to treat with homeopathy, urine therapy, hypnosis, witchcraft, spell-casting, whispering, sorcery, coding, spells and other magical actions. It is forbidden to engage in cloning, folk "healing" and "extrasensory perception". Physicians by such means or resorting to them in ailments - may they be damned.

13.4. If any of the faithful children of the Church enters military service in the godless army or other executive authorities (excluding private security companies) and swears allegiance to the atheist state, such are subjected to excommunication along with apostates from Christ, "because they despised God" ( Apostolic Tradition, XVI).

The Fatherland for Christians is Heavenly Jerusalem, and the Motherland is the Holy Church (the place of their Spiritual birth), and not the defiled territory inhabited by atheists and apostates (Ezra 9, 11; Isaiah 24, 5-6).

13.5. The faithful children of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church need withdraw from use:

• bank accounts and cards (plastic cards), as well as other cards (plastic cards) with electronic digital media;
• barcodes and goods, services and others with barcodes applied or applied after the purchase of goods, services

• Tax Identification Number (TIN);
• biometric passport or passport with a decorated number of the animal;
• Social Insurance Number;
• bank and other cards (plastic cards) with electronic digital media;
• CHIPs (Numeric Identification Devices) and equivalent identifiers

providing an opportunity to purchase goods, use services and other "blessings" of the antichrist world and open the door to renounce God, accept Satan and eternal destruction.

Faithful children of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church with TIN and other digital, electronic digital identifiers must refuse from them, which is confession for the spiritual world.

The rationale is found in Revelation 13: 15-18; 14: 9-11; 15: 2; 16: 2; 20: 4 in particular:

“15 And it was given to him to put spirit into the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would speak and act in such a way that everyone who would not worship the image of the beast would be killed.

16 And he will do this, that to all, small and great, rich and poor, free and slaves, a mark shall be put on their right hand or on their forehead,

17 and that no one will be allowed to buy or sell, except the one who has this mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. " Open 13

13.6. The faithful Christians of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church are prohibited from registering a community in the state bodies of the Antichrist government during the existing persecutions, which can harm Christians: various pressure from outside, penetration of the agents of theomachy into the community and, in the end, lead it to physical destruction. Whoever disobeys this decree is excommunicated from church communion until repentance.

13.7. If any of the Christians - sanctified, monks or worldly - is convicted of betraying the faithful, then let him be completely excommunicated and, after his repentance, receive peace with the Church only at his death. Mercy to show only those traitors who fell after torture. Those, experiencing loyalty and deeds, take after 7 years. A cleric, a Mentor, or any secular or monk who dares to give fellowship to traitors, is ejected and rejected from everything, and is subject to ecclesiastical judgment.

13.8. Upon the restoration of the LEGAL Monarchy, communities, churches and monasteries of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church are subject to Imperial state registration with all the Imperial state guarantees that follow from this, which took place until 1917 A.D.

14. About barber and hair

14.1. All male members of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church community are required to wear a beard. Shaving the beard (shaving) is strictly prohibited, as is the Latin custom. The next one should be excommunicated from church communion (Lev. 19, 27; 21, 5; Stoglav ch. 40; Helmsman Patron. Joseph. Rule of Nikita Scythians "On the tonsure of the brada", fol. 388 on v. And 389).

14.2. The vile pagan custom is also not allowed for men to cut their heads with a crochet (Lev. 19, 27) or, being secular, to grow their hair, plait in braids, etc., and for women to shave off (1 Cor. 11, 14-15).

14.3. All female members of the Russian Orthodox Church community during prayer are required to cover their heads (1 Cor. 11, 14-15). Keeping in mind what the Apostle teaches:

15.1. In the Russian Empire, churches and monasteries of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church were supported by the Imperial treasury, and part of the income was the communities' own economic activities, as well as donations of believers.

In the current apostatic time of persecution and persecution of the faithful children of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church, all her ministers are supported by donations from the communities. This provision takes place until the restoration of the LEGAL Monarchy (see clause 54, clause 55, paragraph one).

In view of the small number of communities of faithful Christians of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church in the apostasy time, clergymen can work in civil enterprises of any form of ownership, while conducting a feasible preaching of repentance among the workers at the enterprise, observing measures of personal safety and the safety of the community. Work in a civilian enterprise should not adversely affect the order of worship in the community (cancellation or postponement of worship, fulfillment of requirements). Working clergymen devote a tenth of the income not from the altar to the dissemination of the preaching of repentance.

15.2. The main form of collecting income for the needs of the Church of Christ is tithe, that is, a tenth of all monthly or annual income of each faithful, as well as voluntary donations. (see: Deut. 18, 1-2; Num. 18, 20-24; 1 Cor. 9, 4-14). All members of the community, including those catechumens, except for charitable donations, offerings for the Lord's meal, the firstfruits of fruits, etc., are obliged to pay tithes for the needs of the Church of Christ as a dedication to the Lord (Gen. 14:20; Lev. 27, 32-33; Num. 18, 21-24; Deut. 14, 22-29; Apostolic Statutes, II. 25.28). And whoever desires to be perfect, he, according to the commandment of Christ, let him serve the Lord and His Church with all his property.

15.3. One tenth of the community income from donations and tithes - "tithe from tithe" - is due to the ruling Bishop (Num. 18, 25-29; Neh. 10, 38). She goes to spread the preaching of repentance.

15.4. One tenth of the "tithe from tithe" is due to the first among the equal Bishops of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church - it is used to spread the preaching of repentance.

15.5. In the communities of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church, nothing is sold or valued (Matthew 21:12; Mark 11:15; Luke 19:45). Candles, prosphora, crosses, printed materials, etc. - are freely available and used by community members as needed; Requests are sent free of charge. With a good disposition and opportunity, members of the community can make a donation they can.

16.On the performance of priestly rites

16.1. In the event of an urgent need for the ministry of the sacrament, but in view of not having the Priest, the faithful Christians of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church can perform the sacraments with an unholy rite.

16.2. Of the seven sacraments of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, five can be performed in an unholy rite: baptism, anointing, repentance, rejection, and anointing of oil. The sacrament of the Eucharist is not performed by an unholy rite, but laity can receive communion with the previously consecrated Holy Gifts, according to the practice of the Holy Church of Christ. Funeral services, funeral services, water-blessing prayers, small consecration of the church, and announcements are also performed in the worldly order. Monastic tonsure are performed only by mantle monks. But a ryasophoric monk can cut into a ryasophor.

17. About the sacrament of baptism

17.1. The Holy Sacrament of Baptism is the first and necessary condition for achieving salvation, for only it makes a member of the Church of Christ, outside of which it is impossible to gain the Kingdom of Heaven, therefore, the Holy Church, when the priesthood is depleted in certain places, or in other extreme circumstances, allows baptism with an unholy rite ...

17.2. The Holy Fathers and Teachers of the Church testify about the celebration of the holy sacrament of baptism: St. Nicephorus, Patriarch of Constantinople, says that "a simple monk and deacon can baptize in need." Blessed. Jerome also says: “We know that baptism is often permissible even for laity; if need only so requires. For as anyone has received, so he can give. " Blessed. Augustine in his epistol to Fortunatus writes: "In need, the worldly baptized people have the skill to teach baptism." He also says: "For it is fitting for unbaptized babies to be baptized, if anyone is found in the absence of the Priest."

About the same St. Theodore the Studite: “It is more useful for the unbaptized if there is no Orthodox one to be baptized, to be baptized by a monk, or, in the absence of this, from a layman who says: such and such is baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, than to leave unenlightened; - and he becomes truly baptized. For, according to need and law, there is a change (Heb. 7, 12), as was explained in antiquity ”(letter 24 to Ignatius the son). Tertullian: “However, even the laity are allowed to baptize as a last resort. Thus, when there is no bishop, no priest, no deacon, then no one should deny the message of the gift of the Lord ”(De baptismo, XII).

"By circumstance, a simple monk baptizes, as well as a deacon and a commoner, if there is no Priest in the place of the priest" (rule 14 of the Patriarch of Nikola).

“If the Priest cannot be found in some place, then unbaptized babies can be baptized by anyone who is there. There is no sin: does the father baptize, or whoever is, as long as there is only a Christian "(Canon 45 of Nicephorus the Confessor). “In case of illness, while on the way or far from the church, the proclaimed person may be baptized by a layman who has received the correct baptism and is not second-wed” (Canon 38 of the Elvir Council).

17.3. There are many examples in the Holy Scriptures when the sacrament of holy baptism was performed by persons not clothed with the priestly rank. The Acts of the Apostles (chapter 8) tells how Philip preached the gospel of Christ to the Samaritans, baptizing many men and women. This Philip, according to the interpretation of the Holy Fathers, was a deacon, a minister not of the altar, but of meals (Acts 6: 1-6). The same Philip baptized on the way of the Eunuch (Acts 8:38). Also, the Apostle Ananias, when he was still a deacon, baptized the Apostle Paul due to the lack of a Priest (Acts 9, 17-18), as St. John Chrysostom. The Nomokanon therefore says: “Our Lord Jesus Christ ordered many apostles who did not have the priesthood to baptize” (sheet 65).

17.4. Examples from the lives of the saints prove the same with certainty. St. Galaktion, being a laity, baptized his wife Epistemia (Prologue, 5 November); similarly St. martyr Mina baptized Eparch Hermogenes (Prologue, December 10); St. the martyr Blasius, called Vukol, who sprinkled water from the pot, in which he himself had boiled, who believed (Prologue, Feb. 3); St. the martyr Sozont enlightened the Greeks and baptized them (Prologue, 7 Sept.); St. Athanasius the Great baptized his peers in childhood, about which, upon learning the Patriarch of Alexandria, imputed this baptism for true and correct, although there was no need for that; St. the martyr Potius baptized the king's daughter (Chetya Menaia, July 1); St. Theophanes of Antioch baptized himself and the harlot whom he taught Christianity (Prologue, July 10); The Monk Theophanes the Confessor taught the infidels and baptized them (Prologue, 9 Sept.); the martyrs Diodorus and Didim did the same (Prologue, 11 Sept.); Priscill (Prologue, Sept.21); Mark and others like him (Prologue Oct 27); Dometius (Prologue, October 4); the elder in Alexandria baptized a Jewish girl, as reported to Patriarch John the Merciful (Prologue, November 24); Alexander baptized a certain elder of the city and many others (Prologue, Feb. 23); St. the martyr Callistratus himself baptized 39 soldiers in the lake into which they were thrown by the tormentor (Chetya Menaia, September 27).

The sacrament of baptism was also performed by pious wives. So St. Equal to the Apostles Thekla baptized herself out of need. Then, having been sent by St. the apostle Paul to teach people, baptized others, which is narrated in her life; St. Mariamne, sister of the Apostle Philip, taught the unbelievers in Lycaonia the word of God and baptized them (Prologue, Feb. 7). “However, in case of some need, he can perform this Sacrament and the worldly face, male or female ... Such Baptism is only valid, that although it is not repeated, there is an undoubted pledge of eternal salvation” (Orthodox Confession of Faith of the Catholic and Apostolic Church of Eastern 1645 Ch. 1, issue 103.).

17.5. Every Christian should know the brief statute for the performance of the holy sacrament of baptism, if there are no liturgical books at hand.

17.6. A correctly performed sacrament of holy baptism with a non-sacred rite is not subject to any addition or replenishment from the Priest, but is recognized as a genuine baptism of grace.

17.7. Self-baptism is allowed in case of mortal danger and only for the catechumens. In other cases, self-baptism is not allowed, because it cannot introduce into the Church.

17.8. The Holy Church of Christ recognizes and accepts the following forms of the holy sacrament of baptism:

• Water, triple immersion.
• With my blood, in torment.
• Bloodless martyrdom.
• Tearful, repentant washing with tears.

18. About the sacrament mvanointing

18.1. If in baptism the newly enlightened person is reborn into the Spiritual life and cleansing by the grace of the Holy Spirit from sin, as it were, being a door to the Church and the kingdom of grace, then the holy sacrament of anointing is the communication of special gifts of grace of the Holy Spirit for strengthening and growing in faith and passing the calling of a Christian.

18.2. Although the anointing was performed from ancient times in connection with the sacrament of baptism, nevertheless, the anointing is a special sacrament, separate from baptism.

18.3. Like the sacrament of baptism, anointing can be performed with an unholy rite in the prayer book, if there is the substance of Holy Mvr, consecrated by the Bishop. Each Christian, having received a blessing from the Bishop (or Priest), can perform the sacrament of anointing on the newly baptized, since he himself, having been vouchsafed it, has the power to give others the gift of the Holy Spirit, which through this sacrament has.

18.4. Like baptism, the visible performance of the sacrament of anointing cannot be replaced by an invisible, Spiritual anointing, for the latter, although it occurs in some cases, has nothing to do with the sacrament itself, but there is a special, exclusive action of the providence of God.

18.5. If the Holy Mvr substance, consecrated by the Bishop, is not available, which is necessary for the performance of the sacrament of anointing, then the anointing is replaced by the laying on of hands, as was the case in the Church of Christ from the beginning:

“The Apostles who were in Jerusalem, hearing that the Samaritans had received the word of God, sent to them Peter and John, who, having come, prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit. For He has not yet descended on any of them, but only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit ”(Acts 8:14-17).

“He said to them: Have you received the Holy Spirit, having believed? But they said to him: We have not even heard if there is the Holy Spirit. He said to them: What were you baptized into? They answered: into the baptism of John. Paul said: John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling people to believe in the one who comes after him, that is, in Christ Jesus. Hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit descended on them, and they began to speak with other tongues and prophesy ”(Acts 19: 2-6).

18.6. The laying on of hands instead of the anointing with mvrom is permitted only in the most extreme circumstances, when there is no long-term connection with the true Priests and Bishops. The laying on of hands, instead of the anointing with mvrom, is performed by the unholy rite both by several Christians (if the rite takes place in the community) and by one. At the laying on of hands, the prayer "Blessed are the Lord God Almighty, the source of the good ..." is honored, which was established according to the order of anointing.

18.7. The sacrament of anointing, performed according to the described order, is recognized as genuine and gracious. If it is done by one laying on of hands, then it can be supplemented by the anointing of the Holy Mvr from the Priest.

18.8. When Saint Mvra becomes impoverished, it can be diluted with blessed oil (Syntagma M. Vlastar. Composition of OT, rule 15; Book. Rite of consecration of the church).

19.On the sacrament of repentance

19.1. We have a clear instruction from the Holy Scriptures about the sacrament of confession to a commoner or monk not clothed in the priesthood: "Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, as if you will be healed: much more can the prayer of the righteous rush forward" (James . 5, 16). St. Apostle Paul, referring to the forgiveness of the Corinthian incest, obviously speaks of the right to forgive this sin of the local Christian community, if it is in accordance with the will of God: “And whom you forgive in what, I also; for even if I have forgiven anyone for anything, I have forgiven you on behalf of Christ ”(2 Cor. 2:10).

19.2. This is confirmed in the teaching and practice of the Holy Church. The Nomokanon says: “If anyone is a Priest is not skilled, but another is not a Priest, but having a Spiritual deed is skillful, this, more than the Priest, is righteous to accept and correct the thoughts” (folio 730). Blessed. Theophylact of Bulgaria, as interpreted in Matt. 18, 18: “If you bind Elik on the earth, they will be tied up in heaven,” writes: “If, he says, you, offended, will have, like a publican and a pagan, someone who has treated you unjustly, then he will be so in heaven ... If you allow him, that is, forgive him, then he will be forgiven in heaven. For not only what the Priests permit is sometimes permitted, but also what we, when we are treated unjustly, bind or permit, is also bound or permitted in heaven. "

Rev. Theodore the Studite testifies: “But since he (the Bishop) sees that heresy reigns and that the circumstances are shy from all sides, he presented everyone who wanted to heal the illnesses that happened, as anyone can; and he did well, most venerable, so that what is done is the law, and the soul for which Christ died was not left without healing. Therefore, the penances used at the present time are the essence of healing ... It is not temptation that produces these actions, but serves as a proof of true love ”(Epistle 162).

“I am not against the rules,” says the same St. Theodore, - and to assign penances to a simple monk "(Epistle 215 to Methodius the monk).

19.3. The lives of the saints narrate about the performance of confession by persons who do not have the priestly rank. Thus, Saint Anthony the Great taught many who came to him and accepted thoughts, and to the Monk Paul the Pre-Simple he gave a monastic image; Saint Pachomius the Great, having collected many monasteries, also accepted the thoughts of the brethren and imposed penance on the rejected Christ and corrected him; Saint John the Great received the confessing and one heretic-iconoclast, having accepted it for repentance, made him a true Christian; the holy martyr Christopher, having received two repentant harlots, gave them forgiveness; a simple old man tied his disciple to the "apostolic authority" (Prologue, 15 October).

19.4. In the Ancient Church of Christ in early Christian times, the sacrament of confession did not have the forms that appeared in church practice later. Repentance then took place publicly in the temple and all the people of God allowed or bound the sinner. However, public repentance or repentance before the primate was committed only in grave, mortal sins, for other sins, the Christian asked for forgiveness from God in private prayer, which, of course, is also imputed to true repentance. For the sacrament of repentance, unlike other sacraments, is not associated with a visible rite, but is a purely moral matter. This is how repentance was understood in the writings of the Holy Fathers and Teachers of the Church of Christ in the 1st-3rd centuries. In general, according to patristic teaching, true repentance is imputed only to those who really forsake the sin in which they confessed, for repentance is, first of all, a change of mind. The fact that in the absence of a Confessor, repentance should only be done to God and this is imputed to true repentance is stated in the Pilot's Book:

“Question: If a man has grown old in sin, he bequeaths in his prayer a covenant between himself and God, saying, forgive me, the Lord, who have sinned before, and so on, I will not commit my ancient sin, nor will I turn to them, but we will confess Your name. If a man makes this covenant to God, in a small day he dies, what need is there to think?

Answer: His repentance from God was accepted ”(Venerable Anastasia Sinaita, folio 629).

19.5. To perform sacramental repentance, a witness of confession is required, who testifies to the truth of its performance. He is the mediator between God and the repentant sinner, who has the power to authorize and bind, however, so as to agree with the will of God, and not according to his own will. This is the main foundation of the sacrament of sacramental confession, the performer of which is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

19.6. The sacrament of confession has nothing to do with the sacrament of the Eucharist, and can be performed both together and separately with it. In the absence of a Confessor or any other faithful Christian witness to confession, every Christian who does not have obstacles to Holy Communion, that is, is not excommunicated and is not under penance, does not commit especially grave, mortal sins that require healing in the sacrament of confession before Father Spiritual, - can partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, using the rite of "skete", or more precisely - "cell" repentance, which consists in a detailed confession in private prayer to God of possible sins. “Wandering repentance”, thus, is imputed to true repentance and does not require additional cleansing by repentance before the Confessor. However, everyone should be guided more by the voice of conscience than by the established law, for one rule for everyone regarding confession in this case cannot be established, since everyone needs such Spiritual healing, which is in accordance with the state of his soul.

19.7. The celebration of the sacrament of repentance by a non-priestly rite is not a right that is applied only in special circumstances, but a constant church practice used in the Holy Church always and everywhere, since it is based on the moral authority of the confessing - a laity or a monk - capable of Spiritual guidance by believers. The Elderly Institute perfectly confirms this experience.

19.8. Since the most important aspect of the sacrament of repentance lies in the confession of sins before God and renunciation of them in the presence of a witness who, in the name of God, forgives the repentant, then the so-called. "Prayer of permission", beginning with the words: "Our Lord and God Jesus Christ ...", and the imposition of the priestly epitrachili on the confessor with the sign of the cross, is not an indispensable condition for the validity of the sacrament of repentance.

19.9. In the persecuted Church of Christ, absentee confession also came into practice, when the repentant sent it in writing (including via the Internet) to the Priest (or Bishop), and he, upon receiving it, read out the sacraments of prayer that were decent rites. This way of performing confession does not in the least contradict the essence and meaning of this sacrament.

20. About communion outside the church

20.1. At first, the Holy Gifts were sent home to all those Christians who were not present in the congregation. So St. Justin the Martyr testifies: “After the communion of all the believers in the congregation, the deacons carry the sacrament to those who were not” (Apolog. 1 - 97 pp.). Later, they began to send the Holy Gifts, mainly to prisoners in dungeons, confessors and the sick. Such are the testimonies of the fathers - Cyprian (letter 54), Chrysostom (on the priesthood VI, 4), and the decrees of the Councils - Nicene (pr. 13) and Carthage (pr. 76, 77, 78). And if only clergymen taught the sacrament in the church, then, on the other hand, the mission of delivering the Holy Gifts to believers' homes was sometimes performed by lower clerics and even simple laity. So, there is a story about the candle-bearer Tarsius, who was tortured by the pagans for not wanting to give up the body of the Savior, which he carried (Martyrol. Rom die aug. XVIII. Martigny - 168 pp.). And that the Holy Gifts were sent to the home of believers in case of need through ordinary believers, this is evident from the story about the communion of Elder Serapion. Serapion, excommunicated from communion, at his death asked his grandson to call the local presbyter. The presbyter refused to go because of illness, but gave the boy a small particle of the Eucharist, ordered it to be soaked upon coming home and put in the mouth of the elder. So the boy did. Arriving home, he soaked a particle and poured the Eucharist into the mouth of a dying elder (St. Dionysius Alex. Bishop From his letter to Fabius, Bishop of Antioch, in the Church History of Eusebius, Book VI, Ch. XLIV).

Moreover, the believers themselves, present at the Liturgy, were allowed to take the Holy Gifts to their homes and receive communion there daily. This custom is indicated by Tertullian (to his wife, book 2, ch. 5), Cyprian (book about the fallen, p. 161), Gregory Nazianzin (word XI about Gorgonia), Cyril of Alexandria (Malinovsky, pp. 17-18), Jerome (letter 50 to Pammachy). The general idea of \u200b\u200ball these testimonies is expressed by Basil the Great in his letter 81 to Caesarea: “And what is not a little dangerous, - we read here, - if someone during the persecution, in the absence of a Priest or minister, it is necessary to take the sacrament with his own hand, it was superfluous to prove it; because long-term custom proves it by the deed itself. For all monks living in deserts where there is no priest, keeping the sacrament in the house, commune themselves. And in Alexandria and Egypt, every baptized layman, for the most part, has the sacrament in his home and takes it by himself whenever he wants. For, when the priest once made and gave the sacrifice, he who received it as a whole, taking communion daily, justly must believe that he receives and receives communion from the teacher himself. For even in the church, the priest teaches a part, and the one who receives it with full right holds it and thus, with his own hand, brings it to his lips. Therefore, one is valid, whether someone accepts one part from a priest, or suddenly many parts. ”Believers often lived in the same houses with pagans - women often had pagan husbands, and vice versa. Then home communion was performed in deep secrecy without any external ceremony. Tertullian, for example, teaches this advice to a wife whose husband is a pagan: "... so that your husband does not know that you are eating in secret before any food" (to the wife, 11, 5). In homes, the Holy Gifts were kept in special vessels, the value of which was different, depending on the condition of the believers. Saint Cyprian was the first to speak of domestic tabernacles; he calls them "arca" - the ark (O Fallen, p. 161). This holy Father tells the story of a woman who wanted to open her ark with unclean hands, where the Body of the Lord was, but was restrained by the flame that came out of it (ibid.). How long the custom of taking the Holy Gifts for communion existed, we cannot indicate with precision. In any case, it took place in the 6th century, for we see the hermit Zosima, giving communion to the Monk Mary of Egypt (+ 521); and even in the 7th century, as we learn from the Spiritual Meadow of John Mosch (+ 622). (See 30 and 79 chapters. Spiritual Meadows).

20.2. The believers often took the Holy Gifts with them on their travels. This is what St. Ambrose (de myster. P. 8, item 48) and Gregory the Great (Conversation about the life of the Italian fathers, book 3, ch. 36). At the same time, there were cases when travelers had parts of the Holy Eucharist under both types (Baronius in Dialoog. III, p. 36. Annal eccl. Loc. Cit. - Macarius the dogmatist. 223 pp.).

20.3. The believers even exchanged Holy Gifts as a sign of greeting. In this regard, a custom of this kind was especially widespread: on the Easter holiday, bishops sent the Holy Gifts to subordinate societies in order to witness the unity with them ... From the Spiritual Meadow of John Moschus, we learn that this practice existed in his time (Chapter 29, Spiritual Meadow).

20.4. “If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you will not have life in you,” says the Lord (John 6, 53). He who does not partake of the Body and Blood of Christ is dead in soul. However, this is said about those who remove themselves from partaking of the Holy Mysteries, but it is not said that whoever does not partake will not be saved. The Lord Jesus Christ was the first to bring the prudent robber into paradise, although he did not receive communion apparently.

20.5. What if a Christian is unable to participate in the sacrament of the Eucharist, whether because of persecution, bondage, or other circumstances?

- Let him not be embarrassed, for we have many testimonies as ascetics and confessors, according to their faith, the Angels communed with. “In times of persecution,” says St. Athanasius of Alexandria, - with the impoverishment of teachers, the Lord Himself with His Spirit teaches those who believe in Him ”(Creation. Part 4, p. 129). For even if someone on his deathbed desires to partake of the Holy Gifts, but for reasons beyond his control is not worthy of communion, this desire alone will serve as a reward and justification. But whoever does not stand in the truth, he will inherit eternal destruction, even if he received communion of such.

20.6. Deprived of the opportunity to apparently receive the Holy Eucharist, does not suffer harm if he abides in Christ, for such he invisibly partakes in the temple of his heart. “And you yourselves, like living stones, make of yourselves a Spiritual house, a holy priesthood, in order to offer Spiritual sacrifices that are pleasing to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2, 5).

“This is wonderful, my brethren,” says St. Ephraim the Sirin, - is very glorious, my beloved, incomprehensible to those on high and inexpressible to those below. Inaccessible to any mind enters the heart and dwells in it, the Secret One from the fire-transparent is found in the heart. The earth cannot bear His feet, and a pure heart is His abode. The sky embraces His handful, and one span of space is His dwelling place. If all creation expands, it will not enclose Him within its own limits, but if it needs hearts, then a small heart will contain it. He chooses a small place in man for His dwelling, and man becomes the temple of God, in which God abides and dwells. The soul is His temple, and the heart is the holy altar, on which praise, words and sacrifices are offered. But the Spirit is a priest, who stands and acts as a priest there ”(Creator of Ephraim the Syrian. Part 4, p. 308).

And Blessed Jerome testifies: “Since the Lord's body is true drinking and His blood is true drinking, then, according to the mysterious interpretation, in the present age we have only that unique good if we eat His flesh and drink His blood, not only in the sacrament ( eucharist), but also in the reading of the scriptures: for true drinking and drinking, which is received from the word of God, is the knowledge of the scriptures "(Creation of Blessed Jerome. Ch. 6, p. 37).

20.7. However, it should be borne in mind that the invisible sacrament does not replace the visible sacrament - the Body and Blood of the Lord under the guise of bread and wine, according to the establishment of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and, moreover, it cannot completely replace, as the wickedly teach the Bezopovites. For we received the commandment from the Apostles themselves: "For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes" (1 Cor. 11:26).

This is not said about the invisible communion, that it will not end until the Second Glorious Coming of Christ, and not about the heavenly Liturgy, but about the visible communion, which follows in the meaning of the entire speech of the Apostle Paul. We reject any other teaching and regard it as heretical.

20.8. Whoever has the desire to receive communion, but does not have the opportunity, for example, the absence of the Holy Gifts, let him use “... with fear of the holy water and with benevolence ...” according to the order of “The message of the communion of holy water of the great consecration at the Epiphany. // Where there is no lie to someone to partake of the Saints and Life-giving Most Pure Christ's Tain Ploti and Blood ... "(in the Great Trebnik).

21. About marriages

21.1. Marriage between a husband and wife is an image of the Church and the Spiritual union of Christ with the Church (Eph. 5: 22-33), and is a sacrament that can be performed by an unholy rite.

21.2. "Marriage is a husband and wife union and a common lot for life, communication of divine and human rights, whether it is concluded through a blessing, or through a wedding, or through a contract" (M. Vlastar. Syntagma. G. ch.2).

21.3. Church marriage can only be concluded after betrothal, which is the memory and promise of a future marriage. Betrothal precedes marriage, as announcement precedes Baptism.

21.4. The time between the betrothal and the marriage itself is a time of testing the intentions, the loyalty of both those who wish to enter into an eternal union and the opportunity to testify about the obstacles to marriage. A kiss is a symbol of intention, rings are a symbol of loyalty.

21.5. There can be no anonymous marriages: all Christians in a given community must know the spouses and testify about them. Like the recipients at holy Baptism, at the sacrament of Marriage, there must be witnesses on both sides of the spouses, who are committed to the Church of Christ for them.

21.6. For those entering into marriage (especially for those who are not of full age), the consent and blessing of the parents is required. However, only parents who belong to the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church, and not godless, heretical or non-faithful. In the latter cases, the spouses turn to their recipients or to the Spiritual Father for consent. According to the accepted custom, parents (or their substitutes) bless with icons of Christ the Savior and the Most Holy Theotokos.

21.7. A marriage by means of a wedding can be performed without a priestly rank, that is, without deacon litanies and priestly exclamations, when laying crowns on the heads of the newlyweds as a sign of victory over lusts (note: crowns must be placed on the heads, and not kept from above). In the absence of metal crowns (in the form of tiaras), they can be made of birch bark and even woven from flowers of the field, as was established in the persecuted Church. If one of the marriages is a second wed, then his crown is placed on his right shoulder and the name is pronounced after the monogamous, regardless of gender; if one of those entering into marriage is third-wed, then his crown is given to him in his left hand.

21.8. If the spouses are both second or third married, then they enter into marriage by means of a blessing, and not a wedding, according to the order, for according to the word of St. John Chrysostom "as virginity is better than marriage, so the first is better than the second." In many communities, the custom has been established to read the Canon to the All-Merciful Savior at such blessed marriages (which is August 1).

21.9. When marrying, it is necessary for the spouses to be in decent clothes, and the bride's head must be covered with a light-colored veil (veil).

21.10. In no way can there be a church marriage with atheists, heretics and infidels. With such, only cohabitation is possible (only if it was concluded before the baptism of at least one of the cohabitants, see Trullsk. 72), which is called “co-eating” (contubernum), but does not have the essence of the sacrament, although, according to the words of the Apostle Paul, “For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband. Otherwise your children would have been unclean, but now they are holy ”(1 Cor. 7:14).

21.11. “Marriage is given for childbearing,” says St. John Chrysostom - but even more to extinguish the natural flame. "

Reproduction of the Christian people and the subsequent education of children as future generations of Christians is the most important task of marriage.

21.12. Nazariteism (abstinence and virginity) is the reverse side of marital cohabitation, for abstinence (monasticism \u003d "solitude") with virginity and blessed cohabitation are balancing forms of human marriage: in the first case, with abstinence, the soul of a person is with God; in the second case, when the husband and wife are united into one flesh, also with God.

+ COLLECTIVE VOICE OF 1613 ON THE FIDDENCE OF THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE TO THE AUTHORIZED KING-ANOINTED KINGS FROM THE HOUSE OF THE ROMANOVS TO THE END OF THE CENTURY : « APPROVED SCHEDULE OF THE GREAT ALL-RUSSIANIYSKAGO CATHEDRAL in MOSCOW CHURCH AND ZEMSKAGO, 1613 (February 21), ABOUT CALLEDIAND ON THE KINGDOM OF MIKHAIL EODOROVICH ROMANOV«

+ PRAYER FOR FORGIVENESS OF SINS OF ITS KIND

Aware of the burden and destructive effect of the generic sin of oath reassignment, and knowingly repenting in the ancestral sin of the Russian people of perjury - violation of the Cathedral vow of the Russian people of loyalty to the reigning house of the Romanovs until the Second Glorious Coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, given with the Kissing of the Cross in 1613 A.D., please consider accepting me into the bosom of the Orthodox Russian Church.

S my opponent argued that neither the ROCOR nor the Catacomb Church. neither the Church of the IOC of Greece and Cyprus, like the MP - are not the Church, for they do not confess the Truth in its entirety.
"... Repentance in the form of condemnation of the deviations of Patriarch Tikhon and his associates, who supported the revolution in Russia, I have not met with anyone .... "
"... In other words, which of them publicly pronounced anathema against the revolutionaries?"
"... About the new martyrs. Those who accepted death from the Bolsheviks, but did not repent of their deviation from the purity of their religion, cannot be considered as such."

Such "confession" leads to a complete dead end: the visible earthly Church of Christ is no longer there, or She is already in a deep desert.

But at the same time he himself is a member of a certain "Immeasurable" Church of Christ, showing the purity and height of Confession ...

Such a confession is a blasphemy against the Lord, who said "I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against It" (Matthew 16:18) and against the Church of Christ.
For the promise of the Lord refers precisely to the Earthly Church.

The Church is determined by the Episcopate standing in Truth, there are such Bishops, and the last times when there will be no Bishops faithful to Christ and the Church will be where “two or three” will gather in the name of the Lord (without the Bishop) have not yet come.

Below is some factual material regarding the Confessions of the Catacomb Church.
And to doubt the Confessional feat of the Host of New Martyrs, glorified in the ROCOR, among whom were many Bishops and Metropolitans, is ignorance and sacrilege, for there is a mass of letters, documents and their appeals confirming the fact that they were tortured precisely for the Confession of the Truth of Christ, and not for political reasons.

ANATHEMA JOSIFLYAN ON REVOLUTIONERS - SERGIAN:

“Madly affirming the renovationist heresy of Sergianism; teaching that the earthly existence of the Church of God can be based on the denial of the truth of Christ, and affirming that serving as the godless power and loyalty to them by the godless command, trampling on the sacred canons, patristic tradition and divine dogmas and destroying all Christianity, saves the Church of Christ; and to those who worship the Antichrist and his servants and forerunners of him and all those who are in his presence, as a legitimate authority from God; and to those who blaspheme against the new confessors and martyrs: anathema. "

From the Decrees and Decrees of the Russian Catacomb Church 1928 - 2005

Resolution of the "Wandering" Local Council of the Russian Church in 1928

1) Sergievites ("Moscow Patriarchate" - site administrator's note) are heretics, and are equal in wickedness to the Renovationists, but surpass the latter in fierce beastliness.

2) The Sergievites do not have grace, the sacraments are not performed, and instead of sacred rites - foul actions.

3) Stop accepting renovationists and Sergievites through repentance. Henceforth, people and clergy are received through chrismation (if they are baptized not by immersion, but by pouring or sprinkling, then baptizing).

4) Renovation and Sergius ordination clergy are simple peasants, but not clergy.

5) Confirmation of the anathema on December 6, 1922, imposed by patr. Tikhon against the Renovationists: they are heretics who perverted all church doctrine, destroyed the church system and were the first to establish reverence for the godless government.

6) Sergievites, with their teacher Sergius of Starogorodsky, teaching that blasphemous, godless and lawless "power" is a power given by God, according to the word of the Apostle, and by this impious teaching tearing apart the body of Christ: Anathema.

7) Confirmation of the anathema on January 19, 1918, imposed by patr. Tikhon and the Holy Council against former Christians who have become blasphemers; since Soviet power is the power of blasphemers and persecutors of Christ, then the action of the anathema extends greatly to the godless government, and one should pray not for it, but for the deliverance of our people from the bitter torment of the godless government and for the suffering Russian land. We establish a reading after the service of a special prayer for the persecuted and long-suffering Church.

+ + +
Consecrated Cathedral of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church, held on January 30 / February 12, 2001 in the Monastery of the Intercession of the Mother of God

The Council was attended by:

1. Scheme-metropolitan Theodosius
2. Archbishop Adrian
3. Archbishop John
4. Bishop Vladimir
5. Archimandrite Athanasius
6. Archimandrite Nikita
Continued here.

- Many historians and publicists talk about the catacomb church, and in everyday consciousness it is often opposed to the Russian Orthodox Church - the Moscow Patriarchate. Was such a phenomenon and was such an opposition legitimate?

- Such a phenomenon undoubtedly was, if the catacomb communities are called the communities that existed illegally. As for their opposition to the Moscow Patriarchate, this should be judged more subtly, more differentiated: the catacomb communities were different. There were communities that turned out to be illegal or even created illegal from the very beginning due to persecutions, due to the massive closure of churches - at the end of the 30s, almost all churches were closed, on average, there was only one church left for an entire diocese. But even in the post-war years, when legal church life was restored to a certain extent, in many remote dioceses there were very few open churches. Under these conditions, church life often had an illegal character, despite the fact that some illegal communities did not oppose themselves to the Moscow Patriarchate. But there were also other catacomb communities, which in fact were in opposition to the Moscow Patriarchate, and this opposition had its own gradations. Some communities were in a tough break with the Patriarchate - Eucharistic communion with the clergy of the Moscow Patriarchate was considered unacceptable and unlawful among them. In these communities, over time, a sectarian spirit prevailed.

In general, if we bear in mind the origin of these communities, then there is an inadequate idea that they are mainly associated with the opposition of several bishops of the late 1920s to Metropolitan Sergius, with the so-called “non-remembered” bishops; this representation is imprecise. For the most part, the communities that in the post-war years were at a break with the Moscow Patriarchate (they are sometimes called true Orthodox Christians), more likely go back to those church groups that were in opposition to the canonical Church even earlier. First, these were the so-called “Johnites,” that is, unreasonable worshipers of the holy righteous, who venerated him for the Lord God and therefore found themselves outside the Church already in pre-revolutionary times. Then there was opposition to the Local Council of 1917-1918. Even then, communities appeared (at least the clergy and laity), which rejected the very reform of church government, the restoration of the patriarchate. But, perhaps, even more significant for the emergence of the catacomb communities, which were in opposition to the Patriarchate, was the imiaslavnic movement, condemned by the Holy Synod on the eve of the Local Council of 1917-1918. At the end of the 1920s, all this was joined by the opposition, connected with disagreement with the line chosen at one time by the Metropolitan, then Patriarch Sergius.

But with the bishops-oppositionists of the late 20s - early 30s. these catacomb communities are little connected. Only a few bishops from those who did not commemorate Metropolitan Sergius tried to create parallel centers of church life; I definitely know that among them were both Bishop Alexy (Bui) and Metropolitan Joseph (Petrovs); in any case, he discussed such a possibility, documents on this account have been preserved. But whether there were parishes, whether there were catacomb communities directly connected with him - I'm not entirely sure about that. Therefore, I repeat: as for such communities that were in tough, irreconcilable opposition to the Patriarchy, here, it seems to me, the stream coming from the opposition groups that arose before the end of the 1920s was stronger, without any connection with the discussion about “ Declarations ”by Metropolitan Sergius.

But at the turn of the 50s - 60s. and in the 60s, as far as I know, the priests, who illegally, secretly nursed such communities, often blessed their flock, their children, to visit the churches of the Patriarchate, to receive communion there, to confess; sometimes they pointed to priests who inspired them more confidence than others. Thus, I am talking about another level of opposition. In one case, it simply did not exist, but there was a forced illegal status, in the other there was a sharp opposition, a break in communication, in the third case, such a restrained opposition, which, in general, over time, when the page of history was turned, in the 90s the years, in their relatively healthy part, have completely disappeared, while our current “catacombs”, once again filled with dubious personalities, are, of course, not communities of the catacombians in the proper sense of the word, but schismatics who, although they acquire the name "Catacomb churches", are armed with some other high and sonorous terms, but in reality they are just adventurers; they came out either from the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate, or simply impostors.

- If we talk about the church catacombs that were in communion with the Moscow Patriarchate, where were they replenished from: were they specially ordained in the catacombs, or were they nourished by supernumerary priests?

- I think that in the post-war years cases of secret ordination by bishops who occupied pulpits and legally served were extremely rare; it was then very dangerous, first of all, not for them personally, but for the Church, but on the other hand, it had a certain space for legal existence. Nevertheless, there were such ordinations by the bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate, but for the most part at a later time, in the era of Khrushchev's persecutions and in the first time after them. This is well known. Church Moscow knows very well Archpriest Gleb Kaleda, who was appointed at one time by Metropolitan John (Wendland). I read that Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov), \u200b\u200bwho occupied a very high position in the Russian Church, ordained illegally. But it is natural that the majority in the catacombs were priests ordained earlier and found themselves outside the state: rarely - ordained in the pre-revolutionary years, often - ordained in the 20s, to a lesser extent - ordained by bishops who were in opposition, for example, Alexy (Buy) ... In addition, the war played a role; Church life in the occupied territories, cut off from the Moscow Patriarchate, was quite intense, and in the post-war years those priests who served in these territories were persecuted. Many of those who did not lose their freedom, nevertheless, for various reasons did not have the opportunity to serve in open churches.

But this phenomenon was not as large-scale as, say, the press of the Russian Church Abroad, which spoke of millions of Catacomb Christians and thousands of communities, represented it. Perhaps there were up to a thousand communities, but they were small.

- Speaking specifically, what catacomb monastic communities or just secular parishes do you know?

- Unfortunately, I can hardly name any specific communities, except that the priest Seraphim (Bityukov), and in the 30s - the now renowned Hieromartyr Sergius Mechev, the son of the great shepherd Saint Righteous Alexy Mechev.

- Was Father Seraphim in contact with Metropolitan Sergius?

- Probably not, but I think that there was no spirit of irreconcilability in his community. Those who emerged from it were then in communion with the Patriarchate, but I assume that he himself was not personally in communion; he closely adhered to those opposition bishops who stopped communicating with Metropolitan Sergius in the late 1920s.

- What is your opinion on the extent to which the catacomb movement is a search for a way to a full-fledged church life, even if in an illegal position, and in which political background and the possibility of being in opposition to the state were interwoven into it?

- I would say that in those cases when it was about the impossibility of legal existence, this movement was the only possible form of church life in a particular locality, and then it was not associated with any opposition, but only with the absence of legal open churches. This situation was almost everywhere in the 1930s, and in the postwar years - in individual dioceses on the outskirts of the country: in Kazakhstan, Siberia, the Far East - with an almost complete absence of legal church life. There was also opposition, connected with disagreement with the line of Metropolitan Sergius; I would call it church-political opposition, but this implies church politics, which, of course, could have a direct connection with the actual political position, but might not have such a direct connection.

If, say, we read the correspondence of St. Metropolitan Kirill, the most authoritative of those who disagreed with Metropolitan Sergius, the future Patriarch, then we will hardly see any criticism in it that would be directed against the compromise line of Metropolitan Sergius in his relations with by the authorities. All criticism there goes in a different direction; This refers to the scope of powers of the Deputy Locum Tenens, and this issue is discussed in the canonical plane, that is, the legitimacy of the independent administration of Metropolitan Sergius without contact with the Patriarchal Locum Tenens, Hieromartyr Metropolitan Peter, is called into question. Metropolitan Sergius insists that since these contacts are impossible, he is forced to take all the initiative as the acting head of the Church, the bishop. And, for example, in the letters of Metropolitan Joseph (Petrovs), criticism of the compromise line of Metropolitan Sergius appears quite clearly.

But the beginning of the opposition movement was not the moment when the Declaration was published; after it, some time passed before the first appearance of the opposition of the "non-remember". The Declaration itself did not evoke criticism, and the fact of its publication also did not become a reason for criticism. But when Metropolitan Joseph, since the authorities did not allow him to live in Leningrad, as he was then called, was transferred to Odessa, this served as a signal for him and his admirers to start polemics. Of course, this translation itself followed from the agreements that were concluded by Metropolitan Sergius with representatives of the authorities while he was in prison. Obviously, one of the conditions for the normalization of church-state relations was the consent to dismiss those bishops who were not allowed by the authorities to live in the city where they occupied the pulpit, or those who had already been sent to camps and prisons. Metropolitan Sergius fulfilled this condition, that is, he dismissed, translated; whom he dismissed to retirement, whom he translated at the place of exile - this is most of all connected with the criticism of his line, and the "Declaration" became the object of criticism in hindsight.

As for the most consistent irreconcilable opposition, of which I have already said that it was acquiring a sectarian character, then the political moment itself was probably still transitory, and the matter consisted of deep ecclesiological delusions, that is, in fact, this there was a split in its pure form, often with heretical layers. This was a path that, to a certain extent, repeated our Old Believers, which degenerated into unpopularity.

- It is known that in the post-war period and in the first half of the 40s, a large number of catacomb priests entered the legal service. How can this movement be assessed, and did it somehow influence the social and church life in the first years of the patriarchate of His Holiness Alexy I?

- This happened after the Local Council elected Alexy (Simansky) as His Holiness Patriarch in 1945. The Council was attended by almost all the bishops who were at large then at large, and this was a large part of the Russian episcopate, if we take into account the bishops who were imprisoned or in exile. Therefore, this election was very convincing and authoritative. I think that the very change of face on the Patriarchal Throne was already significant, since as soon as there was a polemic with Metropolitan Sergius, this created some kind of personal relationship, perhaps a personal enmity, which was already to a lesser extent addressed to the personality of Patriarch Alexy I, although in 1927-28 for the Petrograd opposition a very important point was precisely the demand made to Metropolitan Sergius to remove from the Synod, in particular, Metropolitan Alexy.

It was not connected then with some big church-state policy; just the circle of those St. they knew well as the vicar of the diocese and wanted to see him as a metropolitan. And another circle of clergy and laity gladly received Metropolitan Joseph, held on to him and rallied around him. They did not approve of the future Patriarch Alexy, they found a reason to accuse him of some inconsistency, when the Renovationist split broke out there in 1922: he really behaved compromise with the schismatics at first, but in the end he did not submit to the Renovationist authorities and ended up in exile.

But the main arrows of criticism were still directed at the end of the 1920s. addressed to Metropolitan Sergius, therefore the new person at the head of the Church was inclined to reconciliation. And of course, most of the healthy opposition forces have ceased their opposition to the Patriarchate; the priests of this tendency - as far as possible for them, as far as they were in a legal position, as far as the authorities could allow them to legally serve, - entered into the full jurisdiction of the Patriarchate. Of course, the most important and typical case that served as a signal for many was the act of St. Athanasius (Sakharov) at that time.

- What is the next period in the life of the church catacombs that can be identified and how can it be characterized?

The editorial board publishes a brief information about the history of the catacomb church,
provided by its representatives.

"Apparently the only way out for the Russian Orthodox Church to preserve its faithfulness to Christ is in the near future to go to the catacombs."

Patriarch Tikhon of the Russian Orthodox Church

“You should not complain, but thank God that there are so many courageous true Orthodox Christians in your diocese who did not incline to atheism, as we did. Their prayers will one day save our Church. ”

Patriarch Alexy I of the Russian Orthodox Church

History of appearance

The emergence of the Catacomb Church is directly related to the coup of 1917, the beginning of executions and torture of bishops and priests, desecration and destruction of churches.

The further formation of the Catacomb Church was a gradual process, consisting of approximately three stages, the reasons for which were:

1. A new wave of the Red Terror in 1922-23, the seizure of church valuables and the formation of the so-called "Living Church", inspired by the Soviet regime.
2. The beginning of the implementation in 1927 of the personnel policy of the Soviet government in relation to the Russian Orthodox Church, the intervention of the authorities in its internal affairs, i.e. deprivation of her freedom.
3. Another intensification of repression in the 1930s.

The Founding Fathers of the Catacomb Church, such as Archbishop Andrew of Ufa, Metropolitan Joseph of Petrograd, Archbishop Dimitry of Gdovsky, Bishop Viktor Vyatsky, Archbishop Fyodor of Volokolamsk and others, were legal bishops. Nevertheless, they actively carried out ordinations (ordinations) of secret bishops and priests, calling for leaving the catacombs. When, with the forcible seizure of church buildings, the opportunity to serve openly disappeared, they moved their activities underground - some earlier, some later - which was practically completed by the end of the 1930s.

The main of the ideological principles that led to the withdrawal into the catacombs, in contrast to the renovationists "Living Church" (recognition of Christ as the first communist) and Sergians (named after Patriarch Sergius, who signed a declaration on cooperation with the Soviet government - the Moscow Patriarchate) - among true Orthodox Christians (Catacomb Church) was principle: to prevent the internal enslavement of the Church and, in general, any control whatsoever by the godless authorities over the pastors and flock, which constrains their religious conscience.

By the decision of the Ust-Kutsk Council of 1937, all the canonical directions of the Catacomb Church are branches of a single tree of the pre-revolutionary Russian Orthodox Church, which, however, due to conspiracy, it was decided not to have administrative unity.

The preservation of the canonical succession in the Catacomb Church was one of the most important conditions for the preservation True Orthodoxy in Russia.

Catacomb Church IPH (Andreevtsy)

It is the most powerful and representative body of all the canonical branches of the CPI. Its spiritual founder and head was St. New Hieromartyr Archbishop Andrei of Ufa (originally from Rurikovich) is one of the central figures in the fate of the Russian Church in the 20th century, who made the decision to serve God with the blessing of Holy Rights. about. John of Kronstadt, spiritual son of Metropolitan Anthony Khrapovitsky (future head of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia), blessed by His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon to create the Catacomb Church.

Being a member of the Holy Synod, he refused to commemorate the "Provisional Government" during the divine services, wrote several accusatory messages to F. Kerensky. Member of the Pre-Council Council. Member of the Local Council of 1917-18 Congress chairman co-religionists (Orthodox old and new rites)... The head of the clergy of the 3rd army of Admiral Kolchak, was a member of the Kolchak government. First Hierarch of all fellow believers.

To prepare the Russian Church for going to the "catacombs" vl. Andrei began under the influence of the events of 1905, ruling the Sukhum diocese from 1911, vl. Andrey founded several secret sketes and monasteries in deep gorges and mountains of the Caucasus, which later became a solid stronghold of the Catacomb Church.

So in 1912, with the blessing of Bishop Andrei, a cave skete was founded in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord, which could survive to this day, and now is the spiritual center of the catacomb monastics and communities of the Caucasus.

After the publication of the Declaration of 1927 on the union of the church hierarchy with the godless state, vl. Andrew did not recognize the authority of the Patriarchate, being guided in the administration of his diocese by the principles of autocephaly until the convocation of a lawful Local Council.

At the Local Council of 1928, illegal from the Soviet government (in order to be unnoticed by the Soviet government, which received the name "Wandering"), which attracted 87 opposition bishops to the Patriarchy, the first 6 canons were determined, which became the unshakable canonical foundation of the Catacomb Church.

In addition, the Council Fathers confirmed the anathema against the godless power imposed on it in 1918 by Patriarch Tikhon and the Local Council (Canon 7), as well as “the blessing of Patriarch. Tikhon to Archbishop Andrey of Ufa to ordain bishop alone in secret ”(Canon 18); decided henceforth, if it would not be possible to do so openly, to convene Councils in secret (Canon 17) and approved the principle of decentralization of church power during the persecutions before the convocation of a Local Council (Canon 20), stipulating that several episcopal regions in mutual communion could supply “ taking precedence over himself ”(Canon 17).

A total of 72 bishops from different branches of the CPI signed the decisions of the "Wandering Council".

With the beginning in the 1930s. a new wave of mass repressions against the CPI took place the final transition of communities to the conditions of catacomb existence. Large-scale repressions against the IOC did not stop until the mid-1980s, then subsiding for a while, then resuming again. Bursting out with incredible brutality under Khrushchev in 1958-63, they resumed in the early 1970s, as well as in the period from 1980 to 1984. But they already could not bring the expected results to the authorities, thanks to the existence of the Catacomb Church in deep underground.

In 1996-97. a new wave of repression fell upon the Catacomb Church. Short-term, but very violent. In the fall of 1996, it became known about the enactment of the document of the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 1/17464 of 23.10.96, signed by Minister Kulikov and directed against a number of religious groups operating in Russia, whose activities, from the point of view of the document, are inadmissible. A corresponding certificate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, prepared on the basis of materials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the FSB, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Protection, and the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation, was attached to the document. Thanks to the influence of the Moscow Patriarchate, the CATACOMBUS CHURCH was also included in the number of sectarian organizations that, in the opinion of the "information", have a disorganizing principle in society and have an anti-state character!

The persecution resulted in the murder by special agents of Bishop Eugarius, a number of clergymen, monastics and laity. Bishops Geroniy and Markian disappeared without a trace. According to the message of the Consecrated Council of the TOC in 1997, in total for the period 1996-97. 28 contacts were killed or missing.

In the spring of 1997, Archbishop Ambrose was violently attacked and his apartment was searched.

Presently

The canonical communities of the IOC are located practically throughout the entire territory of the former USSR, but they reach the greatest concentration in Bashkiria, Eastern Siberia, the Middle Volga region and the Urals. A considerable number of them are also located in Moscow and the region, in St. Petersburg, in the Bryansk, Arkhangelsk and Kirov regions, in the Komi Republic there are large associations of communities.

The ethnic composition is heterogeneous: Russians predominate, but there are many Komi, Mordovians, Bashkirs, Yakuts, Tatars, Germans and representatives of other ethnic groups.

According to Soviet experts at the end of 1970. number. IPH was 8 million, and according to the "certificate of the Council for Religious Affairs" for 1989-90. the number of catacombs was estimated at 2 million.

The Russian Church of True Orthodox Christians (Catacomb Church) is a direct canonical legitimate continuation and heir of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Russian Empire, it is supported and in close contact with all directions of Orthodox Christians of the old rite (Old Believers), as the keeper of the canonical Orthodoxy of Russia, who did not recognize and does not recognize any innovations adopted by the Moscow Patriarchate (Sergians) under pressure from the godless government.

Based on the decisions of the Consecrated Council of the IPH 1997:

1. The bishop's activities of His Grace Ambrose Bishop of Hoft, while he is on the territory of the godless former USSR, can be: open, semi-underground and underground (Canon 1).
2. The supreme jurisdictional authority over the open and semi-underground communities of the IOC is entrusted to His Grace Ambrose Archbishop of Hoft (Canon 4).

   (Archbishop Ambrose (Count von Sievers) - born in 1966, consecrated on 7 (20). 06.94. Bishop of Gotf by Bishop Amphilochius - alone).