N.K. Roerich. Saint Sergius of Radonezh
It was a long time ago, in the 14th century. Back then, neither you, nor your parents, nor their parents, nor even their grandparents were in the world - they were all born later, much later. And in those ancient times, in one village, not far from the city of Rostov the Great, on a beautiful May day, a boy, Bartholomew, was born to the singing of birds outside the window. He had two brothers - Stepan and Petya. All three were good and obedient sons of boyar Kirill and his wife Maria. And Bartholomew was the best of all: modest, quiet and helpful, he tried to help everyone with something.
But here's the problem: the boy is not able to study at school. His memory is good, but he can’t remember letters. The teacher punished him, the guys laughed at him, and our Bartholomew
grieved and cried bitterly.
Mother, darling,” he said, “take me from school.” I'd rather work around the house. I still can't do anything!
But although the parents felt sorry for their son, they did not take him out of school. What was there to do? There was only one thing left to do: pray, ask God for help.
M. Nesterov. Vision to the youth Bartholomew
And then one summer, when Bartholomew was grazing his horses in the forest, he suddenly saw an old monk with a long white beard in a clearing. He affectionately called the boy to him,
and Bartholomew, without knowing why, told the elder about his misfortune. And then he called:
Come to us, grandfather, relax and have lunch, your father and mother will be happy.
After lunch, the elder told Bartholomew to take a book and read.
Now you can. Read!
Bartholomew himself didn’t understand how he did it, but he... read! And soon he became best student at school. 
Mikhail Nesterov. Christ blessing the youth Bartholomew
Years passed. The family moved closer to Moscow, to the village of Radonezh. When their parents died, Bartholomew and his older brother Stepan retired to the forests to live there in solitude, monastically. They found a large Makovets hill, covered with dense forest, among the forests, they cut themselves a hut and a small church nearby. They named the church Trinity - in honor of the Trinity, that is, our Christian God. From this small wooden church the famous monastery - the Trinity-Sergius Lavra - will grow over time. 
Mikhail Nesterov. Youth Bartholomew. 1889
It was difficult for the brothers to live in the dense forest - they were scared and hungry. They're prowling around wild animals, wolves howl, in winter the snow covers the hut right up to the roof. Brother Stepan could not stand the difficult, hungry life in the forest. He said goodbye to Bartholomew and went to Moscow, to a large, warm monastery. Bartholomew was left alone. Only occasionally in the summer (you can’t get through winter!) Brother Peter made his way to him through the forest thickets with large bags of bread. Bartholomew dried this bread, and then ate soaked crackers all winter.
Nesterov Mikhail - The Youth of St. Sergius of Radonezh. 1892-1897
Whether it was long or short, our hermit had a comrade. One day he came out of the hut and saw a big bear walking around it. Bartholomew had kindness stronger than fear. He took the bread out of the hut and put it on a tree stump. The bear ate the bread and left. But since then I got into the habit of coming for treats. And Bartholomew always shared with his club-footed friend in a brotherly manner. Sometimes, however, there were no crackers, and then both friends remained hungry. The beast sighed heavily, but was not offended. He seemed to understand everything. After all, when there was so little bread left that there was nothing to share, then the last piece went to Mishka. A monk can be patient, but Misha was not a monk.
Venerable Sergius of Radonezh. Appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Time has passed. Bartholomew is 23 years old. He withstood all the difficulties and now knew for sure that he could be a monk. He asked a friend of the abbot, that is, the head of a neighboring monastery, to tonsure him as a monk. This means dedicating your life to God, praying for Mother Rus' and for all Russian people.
Starting new life, unlike the life of other people, the tonsured man receives a new name. So Bartholomew became Sergius. With this name he later went down in history as the great Russian saint - Sergius of Radonezh. Sergius of Radonezh.
Gradually, Monk Sergius became so accustomed to and loved his lonely life in the forest that when people reached out to him and learned about him, it even upset him. 
Nicholas Roerich. Sergiy is a builder. 1925
Twelve people gathered. And they began to live like brothers. The brothers built twelve of the same ones for themselves? like Sergius, the cell houses were built with a large fence around them to protect them from animals - and so it turned out to be a monastery. What is a monastery without an abbot? Sergius' brothers began to ask to become their abbot. Sergius did not want to become the head of the monastery; that was not why he once went into the wilderness, but what to do? I agreed. A monk is not supposed to be stubborn.
One day a religious peasant came to the monastery to look at the famous Sergius, abbot of the monastery. He walks through the monastery, looks for the abbot and sees: in the garden, some poorly dressed nun is working hard - digging a garden bed.
M. Nesterov. Works of St. Sergius
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- Tell me, father, where can I find the abbot of the monastery Sergius?
The monk did not answer anything, went out to the guest, bowed and said:
You, kind person, tea, tired from the road and hungry. Come on, I'll feed you.
He followed the monk, but on the way he kept looking out to see if Abbot Sergius himself would appear from somewhere. Then a horse's tramp was heard. It was the prince and the boyars who came to the monastery, as he often did. The prince jumped off his horse and bowed before Sergius. It was then that the peasant realized that this poor, humble monk was Sergius himself. He threw himself at his feet:
I’m guilty, father, I didn’t admit it!
Sergius gently picked him up, hugged him and calmed him down.
This is how Sergius was: having become abbot, he remained quiet, meek, and hard-working. And his clothes were the same: old, all in patches. He did not differentiate himself and made no difference between people. He welcomed and loved both the simple peasant and the noble prince equally. And for this, everyone loved and revered him.
Venerable Sergius of Radonezh
For many years, Rus' lived under the yoke of the Mongol-Tatars. They burned cities and villages, robbed and killed people. The Russian principalities were obliged to pay tribute to the Tatar khans - to give them gold, furs and our other riches.
Remember Krylov’s fable about the swan, the crayfish and the pike: when there is no agreement among the comrades, their business will not go well? So there was no agreement among the Russian princes then. They often fought with each other! And therefore, each individually became easy prey for the conquerors.
S. Chikunchikov. Resurrection of the Youth by Sergius of Radonezh
During this difficult time, Sergius helped the princes make peace among themselves and, recognizing the power of the Moscow prince over themselves, unite around the Moscow land. And when gentle persuasion failed to help the matter, he could show firmness. For example, he ordered the closure of all churches in Nizhny Novgorod for disobedience. What was to be done to the Nizhny Novgorod prince Boris? How to live without worship? I had to submit to the will of the saint - to the greater benefit of Mother Rus'.
Moscow Prince Dimitri decided to free Rus' from Tatar yoke- give a decisive battle to the enemy on the Kulikovo field. He came to Sergius to ask for his blessing to fight the Tatars. After all, a terrible battle was ahead - the Tatar leader Mamai gathered a huge army and boasted:
I will ruin the Russian land, I will destroy all the Russian princes, and there will be no Rus'. Everyone here will speak Tatar!
S. Efoshkin. Venerable Sergius. In Rus'
Prince Dimitri spoke with tears to Sergius:
Older than God, Mamai is strong, but we have few troops. What to do?
Sergius served in the church great service, sprinkled holy water on the prince and his squad, and then said:
Go, sir, against your filthy enemies with God, and the Lord will help you.
Alexey Kivshenko. St. Sergius blesses Dmitry Donskoy
Sergius also gave the prince two of his strong monks, former warriors - Peresvet and Oslyabya.
Dimitri met with Mamai's army on the banks of the Don. (For this victorious battle near the Don, he will later be nicknamed Dimitri Donskoy forever and ever). When the prince saw what a huge army the Tatars had, at first, to be honest, he was confused. But then a messenger from Sergius arrived to him. He again strengthened his spirit with the words that the messenger brought:
Go boldly, prince, God will help you!
Then Grand Duke Dimitri gave a call to all Russian principalities. Holy Rus' was deserted, both men and youths - everyone went to the Kulikovo fire.
And then Dimitri ordered his army to cross to the right bank of the Don and destroy the bridges so that there was no way for retreat. Either we die or we win! 
Sergey Efoshkin. Before the battle. Warrior-Schemon Alexander Peresvet
The Tatar army approached, and it was four times larger than the Russian one. The Tatar hero Chelubey stepped forward. He was so tall that if he had lowered
legs from his horse, then the horse would have slipped between his legs.
The Tatars say:
Who wants to fight our giant?
Everyone is silent: scary! And then the hero-monk Peresvet, sent by Sergius, came out. He was wearing monastic clothes and holding a heavy spear in his hands. With it he rushed at the enemy. The blow was terrible, and both heroes fell dead.
And a terrible, cruel battle began. A great many warriors died. And even the horse under Prince Dimitri fell in battle. But Rus' defeated the enemy.
M. Avilov. Duel on Kulikovo Field
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The fame of Sergius of Radonezh spread throughout Rus'. On the Makovets hill, the Trinity Monastery created by Sergius grew and became more beautiful. They began to call it the Trinity-Sergius, and then also the Lavra, that is, a very large and important monastery.
N. Puchkov. Holy Trinity Lavra of Sergius
The monk-icon painter Andrei Rublev lived in the monastery. Trained by Saint Sergius, he became the best and most famous artist painting icons. He wrote
the world-famous “Trinity” icon, to which the monastery is dedicated. Andrei himself said that he painted his icon so that people, looking at the unity of the Holy Trinity, would overcome the anger and hatred that divides people. And, truly, when you look at icon, silence and peace enter the soul. 
A. Rublev. Trinity
Look: three angels bowed to each other. On the icon is the very dream of people about serene harmony, about friendly understanding, about unity. In front of the angels is a table, on the table is a bowl with a sacrifice. The central angel blesses the cup.
How can you portray God Himself? Moreover, to show that he is one in three faces, inseparable, just as the colors of the rainbow are inseparable? So it turns out that God can only be shown in the image of these three angels, who are equal to each other and one, just as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are equal to each other - the three faces of God the Trinity.
Well, since Andrei Rublev was also a very good monk and led a holy life, all his icons turned out to be miraculous. This means that by praying in front of this icon, you can ask God for a miracle. You just need to ask for something kind and good. 
I. Glazunov. Sergius of Radonezh and Andrei Rublev
So our story about the great Russian saint - St. Sergius of Radonezh has ended. As you grow up, you will learn a lot of other, important and interesting things about him. In the meantime, let's tell you a secret: St. Sergius is the patron saint of schoolchildren. They pray to him for success in their studies, and he helps. Can you guess why?
The lesson is dedicated to the book by Natalia Vladimirovna Skorobogatko from the History Stories series “The Story of a Great Saint. Sergius of Radonezh."
Icon "St. Sergius of Radonezh"
The life of St. Sergius of Radonezh is filled with a large number of righteous and godly accomplishments and miracles. The saint is God's messenger, called by the Almighty Lord at critical times for the Church.
The meaning of Sergius of Radonezh for the Orthodox
Sergius of Radonezh came to Russian soil when the Tatar tribe had filled almost the entire territory of the fatherland, and the princes were engaged in fierce civil strife.
These enormous problems promised complete destruction for Rus', so the Lord called upon St. Sergius to free the people from cruel misfortune. To strengthen and raise moral forces that had been weakened for a long time, the saint gave shining example godly life: honest and disciplined performance of work, restrictions of the flesh and tongue.
Holy Venerable Sergius of Radonezh
The Monk Sergius of Radonezh demonstrated unprecedented philanthropy, patience and knowledge of psychological aspects. He knew how to devote all his time to the common cause, well-behavedly preaching true religiosity.
The saint did not hesitate to try on the responsibilities of any profession: he was engaged in cooking, baking, carpentry, chopping wood, grinding flour. He was a true servant of the brethren, not sparing himself and never falling into despondency.
Read about Sergius of Radonezh:
Biography of the Reverend
Bartholomew's parents (secular name Sergius) were called Cyril and Maria. They were Rostov boyars, lived in a village called Radonezh and led a humble home life, caring for horses and cattle.
Parents rejected licentiousness and luxury and were considered respectable, religious and fair people. They always gave alms to the poor and warmly welcomed travelers into their own home.
- At the age of seven, Bartholomew went to learn to read and write. The child showed an undeniable desire, but his studies were not at all successful. Bartholomew prayed to God for a long time to help him open his heart and mind to accept true knowledge.
- When a child was looking for missing horses on large field, he saw a monk in a black robe and approached him to tell him about his own grief. The elder, showing mercy, spent a long time in prayer for Bartholomew’s enlightenment. The monk treated the boy to blessed prosphora and promised that from now on the child would be able to understand the essence of the Scriptures. The youth truly felt great grace and began to easily perceive book teaching.
- After the fateful meeting, young Bartholomew grew stronger in faith and desire to selflessly serve the Almighty Lord. He remained in the family, with loving parents, despite the desire for privacy. Those around him noted his modesty, silence, ability to be meek and affectionate; the boy never got angry or showed disrespect to his elders. His diet included only bread and water, and during his fasts he completely abstained from any food.
- When godly parents left the mortal world, Bartholomew left an inheritance younger brother and settled in a deep forest, several miles from his native Radonezh. His older brother Stefan kept him company, and together they built a wooden cell and a small chapel. This place was soon consecrated in honor of the Trinity.
Venerable Sergius. Construction of the monastery
Note! The monastery of the majestic abbot was distinguished by simplicity and beggary. Parishioners noted the poverty of food and furnishings, but learned to unite even in years of difficult conditions. When the brethren did not have even a piece of bread, they did not lose heart, but continued to work and humbly read their prayers. In each of the monks one could feel the hidden fire of self-sacrifice and the desire to give all of oneself for the good of religion.
Took monastic vows
After some time, Stefan leaves his younger brother and becomes the abbot of a Moscow monastery. Bartholomew is tonsured a monk and receives the spiritual name Sergius; he spends two years alone, living in a dense forest.
- Thanks to prayer and courageous patience, the young monk was able to overcome the flattering temptations attacking his consciousness. Animals of prey ran near Sergius’s cell, but not one dared to harm the true servant of the Lord.
- The fame of the monk's ascetic deeds spread beyond his monastery and attracted other humble monks who wanted to receive instructions in a righteous life. Soon the disciples persuaded St. Sergius of Radonezh to accept the priesthood.
- Some time after the founding of the monastery, ordinary peasants began to settle nearby. Thanks to the nearby road to Moscow, the funds of the Holy Trinity Monastery began to increase, which allowed the monks to distribute alms and take into the care of the unfortunate sick and wandering pilgrims.
- Patriarch Philotheus of Constantinople learned about the holy life of Sergius of Radonezh, who blessed the works of the saint and sent approval of the rules of the desert community created by the saint. Metropolitan Alexey extremely revered the founder of the Holy Trinity Monastery, treated him with friendly love and entrusted the task of reconciling the Russian princes, and also counted on him as his successor. However, Sergius humbly refused the offer to take a high church post.
Miracles and visions of the saint
Prince D. Donskoy greatly revered Sergius of Radonezh and asked for blessings for victory in the fight against the hordes of the Tatar-Mongols. The saint approved of the heroic impulse of the Russian army and ordered two ascetics to take part in a grandiose battle.
St. Sergius blesses D. Donskoy
- The Mother of God repeatedly came to Sergius, accompanied by the first apostles of Christ. The Virgin Mary promised to make sure that the meager monastery would never again need housing and food.
- One day an indescribable light illuminated him, and hundreds of birds circled in the sky, filling the area with harmonious singing. Immediately he received a revelation promising the imminent arrival of large quantity monks to his monastery.
- When Kazan still belonged to the Tatar horde, many residents of the city saw St. Sergius walking along the walls with the sign of the cross, sprinkling them with holy water. The Tatar sages announced that Russian soldiers would soon capture them and the Tatars would lose power over the city.
- When enemies were approaching the Trinity Monastery, Sergius appeared in a dream to the monastery’s resident and warned of an imminent siege. The saint walked around the walls and sprinkled them with holy water. The next night Tatar hordes, wanting to attack unexpectedly, they met courageous resistance and left this place.
- One person had severe eye pain and could not sleep at all. When he fell, exhausted from illness, the venerable elder appeared to him and ordered him to come to the temple and serve a prayer service. He received his sight after he saw the holy abbot riding on a white horse. Realizing that the illness had gone away by the grace of God, he hastened to thank Him in the Church.
- Once Sergius healed a possessed nobleman who was shouting swear words, raging and biting. They brought him by force to the holy elder, who cured him with the help of strong prayer and the cross. The nobleman later said that he saw a terrible flame and escaped from it in the water.
- Three decades after his death, his remains began to flow myrrh. After a while, an icon of the appearance of the Virgin Mary was solemnly placed on Sergius’s tomb. This shrine is extremely revered in the Orthodox world and performs various miracles.
- The venerable elder learned from his own experience the true Christian life, united with God and became a partaker of the religious nature. Everyone who communicated with Sergius gained faith and joined the Holy Trinity. The monk received from the Almighty the gift of prophecy, miracles, heartfelt consolation and dispassion. He had no differences in his vision of the three times; people from other cities, as well as foreigners, came to him.
Read about prayers to the saint:
Interesting! The Russian army, led by D. Donskoy, stopped in some doubt and fear, seeing the superior forces of the cruel enemy. At the same moment, a messenger appeared bringing a blessing from St. Sergius. Then everything Russian army was filled with indestructible courage, as she believed in the help of the Almighty. The Tatar hordes were defeated and fled in panic. Prince Donskoy thanked the saint and made large investments for the needs of the monastery.Farewell to the world
The sight of death never frightened the holy monk, since his ascetic life had accustomed him to a courageous perception of what was happening. The incessant work exhausted his body, but Sergius never missed a church service and set an example of diligence for his young students.
Vision of St. Sergius about the disciples
Six months before his death, the monk received a vision of the exact time of death. He gathered his students around him and transferred managerial rights to the monk Nikon. In September 1391, the elder became seriously ill and, having again convened the brethren, began to give the last paternal teaching. His words conveyed endless love, strength and simplicity.
Sergius of Radonezh preached to his disciples the path of benevolence towards everyone, maintaining unanimity, observing Orthodox principles, and also the absence of arrogance.
Before his death, the saint desired his final communion with the Body and Blood of Christ. With the help of his disciples, he rose from his wretched bed and drank from the cup. Experiencing grace-filled peace, the monk raised his right hands to heaven, pronounced a blessing to the Lord and departed with a pure soul.
As soon as Sergius gave up the ghost, a divine aroma spread inside the cell, and his face shone with a beautiful light.
Finding the relics
All the disciples cried and sighed, walked around drooping, pouring out to each other their grief of irreparable loss. They often visited the elder’s grave and talked with his image, asking for mercy and salvation. The brethren sincerely believed that the spirit of Sergius was constantly nearby and guided the disciples along the true path.
Once the pious abbot saw the saint at an all-night vigil: he was singing hymns of praise to the Lord along with others. This episode instilled joy in the disciples and was a mystical response to the mourning over his grave.
In July 1422, during the creation of a new stone monastery, the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh were discovered. Having opened the coffin, eyewitnesses felt a fragrant fragrance; the body of the monk and his clothes remained completely untouched by decomposition. Four years later, the miraculous remains were transferred to the Trinity Cathedral. The Church gives praise to St. Sergius on July 5, the day of the discovery of the relics.
Parts of the saint's remains can be found in several churches in Moscow.
- In the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity - the local courtyard looks like small monastery, in which the necessary services are performed.
- The relics of Sergius of Radonezh are also located in the church of St. Nicholas, located in Klenniki. During the Time of Troubles, a famous community was created here under the leadership of St. Alexis.
- In the temple, illuminated in honor of Elijah the Ordinary, Orthodox believers observe the icon of Sergius and particles of his miraculous remains.
- In the Cathedral of the Vladimir Icon of the Virgin Mary there are relics and one consecrated chapel.
Studying the life of St. Sergius of Radonezh, the believer is imbued with great respect and love for this saint. From an early age, his whole nature showed mercy, meekness and selfless love for the Lord. He became the founder of the Trinity Monastery, where crowds of pilgrims and monks flocked who wanted to join the simple way of life of St. Sergius.
Life of St. Sergius of Radonezh
Venerable Stefan of Moscow, brother of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh (+ XIV-XV centuries)
THE MEMORY IS CELEBRATED ON JULY 14/27;
CATHEDRAL OF ROSTOV-YAROSLAV SAINTS;
CATHEDRAL OF RADONEZH SAINTS;
CATHEDRAL OF MOSCOW SAINTS
The Monk Stefan of Moscow was the elder brother of the Monk Sergius of Radonezh, from which it follows that he was born earlier than 1319.
The Monk Stefan came from a family of Rostov boyars, the Monks Cyril and Maria, who took great tonsure in their declining years. They were kind and godly people, hospitable and pious.
History has not preserved for us the family nickname of this pious family, but the Ivanchin family considers St. Stephen to be its ancestor.
Together with his brothers, Peter and Bartholomew, the future Venerable Sergius, Stefan was sent to school and quite successfully learned to read and write.
When Stefan reached mature age, his family moved from Rostov to the Moscow region, to the small village of Gorodishche, which in ancient times bore the name Radonezh. According to the custom of that time, Cyril, the father of the family, was supposed to receive the estate, but due to his old age he himself could no longer carry out the service, and therefore his eldest son Stefan, who, probably still in Rostov, got married, took on this responsibility. The second brother, Peter, also chose family life, and only the younger Bartholomew from his youth sought monastic feat. His parents begged him not to leave them and to serve them until their death, to which the obedient young man obeyed. Continuing to live with his parents, Bartholomew led an ascetic lifestyle and soon the spirit of monasticism was passed on from his son to his parents, who had the desire to end their days in a monastery. Not far from Radonezh, in the Intercession Khotkovsky Monastery, in which, according to the custom of that time, monks and nuns labored, Cyril and Maria took on a great angelic image. Now the relics of Saints Cyril and Mary reside in this monastery, where the saints completed their earthly path. Their memory is celebrated on September 28.
An important change took place in the life of St. Stephen: he did not live long in marriage; his wife Anna died, leaving him two sons: Clement and John. Having buried his wife in the Khotkovo Monastery, Stefan did not want to return to the world. Having entrusted his children, probably, to Peter, he stayed right there, in Khotkovo, so that, having accepted monasticism, he could at the same time serve his weak parents.
After the death of his parents (around 1337), Bartholomew received the desired freedom to indulge in monastic exploits, and he rushed to his older brother Stephen, who at that time was already a monk of the Khotkovsky monastery, asceticizing near three graves dear to his heart. Bartholomew began to persuade Stefan to go with him into the forests to look for a secluded place for desert living. But Stefan did not suddenly decide on such a feat. A recent layman who entered the monastery not so much out of the desire of his heart, but because his heart, broken by family grief, sought healing in the silence of the holy monastery, he did not think of taking on a feat beyond his measure, and wanted to go through the usual path of monastic life within the walls monastic. But Bartholomew asked and begged him so much that kind-hearted Stefan gave in to the persistent requests of his beloved younger brother and, “having been forced by the words of the blessed one,” agreed. The brothers left the monastery and went into the neighboring wilderness.
Having found a remote and secluded place called Makovets, the brothers, calling upon God’s blessing, began to build a cell and a church, which they dedicated to the Most Holy Life-Giving Trinity. With the blessing of Metropolitan Theognostus of Moscow, the church was consecrated, and thus the beginning of the future great Lavra of St. Sergius was laid.
While Bartholomew rejoiced with unspeakable joy, having received the opportunity to completely devote himself to monastic deeds, Stefan grieved from the harsh desert life that was too much for him.
He could not bear this new kind of monasticism chosen by his younger brother. The desert was real, and a harsh desert: all around for a long distance in all directions there was a dense forest, in the forest there was not a single human dwelling and not a single human path, so that it was impossible to see faces and it was impossible to hear human voices, but one could see hear only animals and birds. Stefan could not stand such solitude and, leaving Bartholomew alone in the desert, left him for the Epiphany Monastery.
Being unprepared for such difficult conditions, and never having a burning desire for this, he, despite the admonitions of his younger brother, retired to the Moscow monastery, to a more suitable haven of salvation for him.
Stefan entered the Moscow Epiphany Monastery, built himself a cell and began to labor in it to the best of his ability. According to the testimony of Blessed Epiphanius, who personally knew Stephen, he loved the monastic life, worked hard and led a strict life. He usually wore formal clothes. At that time, the future Moscow Saint Alexy was laboring as a simple monk in the Epiphany Monastery. They fell in love with each other spiritually, always stood next to each other in church and sang together in the choir. Their mentor and leader was Elder Gerontius, experienced in spiritual life. Metropolitan Theognostus loved Stefan, Gerontius and Alexy and from time to time invited them for spiritual conversation. Kalita's son, Grand Duke Simeon Ioannovich, also distinguished Stefan and Alexy with his attention. At his request, Metropolitan Theognost ordained Stefan as a presbyter and appointed him hegumen of the Epiphany Monastery. Grand Duke chose Stephen as his confessor. The example of the prince was followed by Vasily, the thousandth capital of the capital, his brother Theodore and other noble boyars.
At this time, Stephen's brother, Bartholomew, had already taken on an angelic image with the name Sergius. The brethren began to gather around him, wanting to labor under his leadership. However, the Monk Sergius himself did not at all want to confer upon himself either the priesthood or the abbess.
Having been separated from his brother, Stefan, of course, did not interrupt spiritual communication with him, and, living in Moscow, perhaps visited him from time to time. It is likely that he also brought his son John here, whom he gave to be raised in Peter’s family. Having heard about the godly life of his uncle, 12-year-old John was inflamed with the desire to live under his spiritual guidance and one day came to him with his father. Stefan began to ask his brother to immediately clothe the boy in an angelic image, and the Monk Sergius did not contradict his elder brother, who, like ancient Abraham, gave his son to God. The monk gave John tonsure with the new name Theodore.
So the Monk Stephen left his abbess at the Moscow Epiphany Monastery and entered residence in obedience to his brother, the Monk Sergius. And Stephen’s son Theodore labored diligently in the monastery of Sergius for about 22 years, then founded the Moscow Simonov Monastery and ended his earthly career in 1398, being a Rostov saint.
However, despite the fact that the return to the reverend brother was dictated by the desire for more strict life than the one that was in the Epiphany Monastery, the subsequent stay in the Sergius monastery brought new sorrows to Stefan. Having refused the abbess in the capital's monastery, Stefan did not easily obey his younger brother, the abbot. Various thoughts and temptations troubled his soul, giving rise to discontent and grumbling against St. Sergius. Among the other brethren there were also some dissatisfied, and one day the Monk Sergius heard the harsh and irritated words of Stephen addressed to him, overwhelmed by spiritual warfare. The Monk Sergius did not want to become the cause of unrest and discord in the brotherhood and quietly left the monastery.
He did not rebuke his brother, did not admonish him and edify him, so that these instructions would not result in bickering and strife regarding the leadership. He did not tell anyone about his brother’s act and humbly left his native monastery, but it was through this act that he provided the strongest healing to his brother Stefan.
After some time, yielding to the love of the brethren and obeying the blessing of St. Alexis, the Monk Sergius was forced to return to his monastery to the place of his previous exploits. At this time and until the end of the earthly life of St. Sergius, we do not find information that Stephen continued to live in the Trinity Monastery. It is possible that he again retired to one of the Moscow monasteries - Epiphany or Simonov - himself or with the blessing of St. Alexy. But after the death of the venerable abba, he reappears in his Lavra and tells the venerable Epiphanius the Wise the details of the childhood years of the life of his holy brother. All we know is that Stephen repented of his momentary outburst of anger and reconciled with his reverend brother.
The Monk Stephen died at a very old age (in end of the 14th century or the beginning of the 15th century) and was probably buried in the Trinity Monastery. His name appears in the calendar of 1621. According to local tradition, in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra his memory was celebrated on July 14, on the same day as St. Stephen of Makhrisch.
Reverend Father Stephen, pray to God for us!
Sergius of Radonezh (c. 1314-1392) is revered by the Russian Orthodox Church in the ranks of saints as a reverend and is considered the greatest ascetic of the Russian land. He founded the Trinity-Sergius Lavra near Moscow, which was formerly called the Trinity Monastery. Sergius of Radonezh preached the ideas of hesychasm. He understood these ideas in his own way. In particular, he rejected the idea that only monks would enter the kingdom of God. “All good ones will be saved,” Sergius taught. He became, perhaps, the first Russian spiritual thinker who not only imitated Byzantine thought, but also creatively developed it. The memory of Sergius of Radonezh is especially revered in Russia. It was this ascetic monk who blessed Dmitry of Moscow and his cousin Vladimir Serpukhovsky to fight the Tatars. Through his lips, the Russian Church for the first time called for the fight against the Horde.
We know about the life of St. Sergius from Epiphanius the Wise, a master of “weaving words.” “The Life of Sergius of Radonezh” was written by him in his declining years in 1417-1418. in the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. According to his testimony, in 1322, a son, Bartholomew, was born to the Rostov boyar Kirill and his wife Maria. This family was once rich, but then became poor and, fleeing persecution from the servants of Ivan Kalita, around 1328 they were forced to move to Radonezh, a city that belonged to youngest son Grand Duke Andrei Ivanovich. At the age of seven, Bartholomew began to be taught to read and write in a church school; learning was difficult for him. He grew up as a quiet and thoughtful boy, who gradually decided to leave the world and devote his life to God. His parents themselves took monastic vows at the Khotkovsky Monastery. It was there that his elder brother Stephen took the vow of monasticism. Bartholomew, having bequeathed property to his younger brother Peter, went to Khotkovo and began to monk under the name of Sergius.
The brothers decided to leave the monastery and set up a cell in the forest, ten miles from it. Together they cut down the church and consecrated it in honor of the Holy Trinity. Around 1335, Stefan could not stand the hardships and went to the Moscow Epiphany Monastery, leaving Sergius alone. A period of difficult trials began for Sergius. His solitude lasted about two years, and then monks began to flock to him. They built twelve cells and surrounded them with a fence. Thus, in 1337, the Trinity-Sergius Monastery was born, and Sergius became its abbot.
He led the monastery, but this leadership had nothing to do with power in the usual, secular sense of the word. As they say in the Life, Sergius was “like a bought slave” for everyone. He cut down cells, carried logs, performed difficult work, fulfilling to the end his vow of monastic poverty and service to his neighbor. One day he ran out of food, and after starving for three days, he went to the monk of his monastery, a certain Daniel. He was going to add a porch to his cell and was waiting for carpenters from the village. And so the abbot invited Daniel to do this work. Daniel was afraid that Sergius would ask a lot from him, but he agreed to work for rotten bread, which was no longer possible to eat. Sergius worked all day, and in the evening Daniel “brought him a sieve of rotten bread.”
Also, according to the Life, he “took every opportunity to establish a monastery where he found it necessary.” According to one contemporary, Sergius “with quiet and meek words” could act on the most hardened and hardened hearts; very often reconciled princes warring among themselves. In 1365 he sent him to Nizhny Novgorod reconcile quarreling princes. Along the way, in passing, Sergius found time to create a wasteland in the wilderness of the Gorokhovets district in a swamp near the Klyazma River and erect a temple of the Holy Trinity. He settled there “elders of the desert hermits, and they ate bast trees and mowed hay in the swamp.” In addition to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, Sergius founded the Annunciation Monastery on Kirzhach, Staro-Golutvin near Kolomna, the Vysotsky Monastery, and the St. George Monastery on Klyazma. He appointed his disciples as abbots in all these monasteries. More than 40 monasteries were founded by his students, for example, Savva (Savvino-Storozhevsky near Zvenigorod), Ferapont (Ferapontov), Kirill (Kirillo-Belozersky), Sylvester (Voskresensky Obnorsky). According to his life, Sergius of Radonezh performed many miracles. People came to him from different cities for healing, and sometimes even just to see him. According to the life, he once resurrected a boy who died in his father’s arms when he was carrying the child to the saint for healing.
Having reached a very old age, Sergius, having foreseen his death within six months, called the brethren to him and blessed a disciple experienced in spiritual life and obedience, the Monk Nikon, to become abbess. Sergius died on September 25, 1392 and was soon canonized. This happened during the lifetime of people who knew him. An incident that was never repeated.
30 years later, on July 5, 1422, his relics were found incorrupt, as evidenced by Pachomius Logofet. Therefore, this day is one of the days of remembrance of the saint. On April 11, 1919, during the campaign to open the relics, the relics of Sergius of Radonezh were opened in the presence of a special commission with the participation of church representatives. The remains of Sergius were found in the form of bones, hair and fragments of the rough monastic robe in which he was buried. Pavel Florensky became aware of the upcoming opening of the relics, and with his participation (in order to protect the relics from the possibility of complete destruction), the head of St. Sergius was secretly separated from the body and replaced with the head of Prince Trubetskoy, buried in the Lavra. Until the relics of the Church were returned, the head of St. Sergius was kept separately. In 1920-1946. the relics were in a museum located in the monastery building. On April 20, 1946, the relics of Sergius were returned to the Church. Currently, the relics of St. Sergius are in the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
Sergius of Radonezh embodied the idea of a communal monastery in Rus'. Previously, monks, when they entered the monastery, continued to own property. There were poor and rich monks. Naturally, the poor soon became servants of their wealthier brothers. This, according to Sergius, contradicted the very idea of monastic brotherhood, equality, and striving for God. Therefore, in his Trinity Monastery, founded near Moscow near Radonezh, Sergius of Radonezh forbade the monks to have private property. They had to give their wealth to the monastery, which became, as it were, a collective owner. The monasteries needed property, in particular land, only so that the monks who devoted themselves to prayer had something to eat. As we see, Sergius of Radonezh was guided by the highest thoughts and struggled with monastic wealth. Sergius' disciples became the founders of many monasteries of this type. However, later the communal monasteries became the largest land owners, who, by the way, also possessed great movable wealth - money, precious things received as deposits for the funeral of the soul. The Trinity-Sergius Monastery under Vasily II the Dark received an unprecedented privilege: its peasants did not have the right to move on St. George’s Day - thus, on the scale of one monastic estate, serfdom first appeared in Rus'.
Saint Sergius is one of the patrons of the city of Moscow and therefore he is asked to protect the capital from various troubles, as well as the prosperity of our entire country.
In front of the icon of this saint they pray for the protection of children from evil influences, for help in their studies, as well as for the protection of widows and children who were left without care.
St. Sergius can help the righteous court cases, it protects you from miscarriages of justice or injustice.
Sergius of Radonezh himself was humble, so prayers in front of his image help in taming the pride of either one’s own or another person.
It must be remembered that icons or saints do not “specialize” in any specific areas. It will be right when a person turns with faith in the power of God, and not in the power of this icon, this saint or prayer.
And .
THE LIFE OF REVEREND SERGIUS OF RADONEZH
Sergius of Radonezh was born near Rostov in the village of Varnitsa into a wealthy boyar family. By birth he received the name Bartholomew. The Russian Church considers May 3, 1314 as its birthday, but the exact day of Bartholomew’s birth is unknown.
From the very first days, the baby did not accept milk from his mother on Wednesdays and Fridays; when his mother ate meat, he also refused milk.
When the boy grew up, he, along with his brothers Stefan and Peter, were sent to study at a parochial school, but Bartholomew found it very difficult to study. And then one day, when he was 13 years old, an amazing event happened to him.
One day, Bartholomew went to look for horses. During these searches, the boy came to a clearing where the elder schema-monk was praying. He was kind
“like an Angel who stood in the field under an oak tree and prayed earnestly, with tears.”
Having humbly bowed to the elder, Bartholomew came up and stood next to him, waiting for him to finish praying. When the elder, having prayed, saw Bartholomew, he asked him: “ What are you looking for and what do you want, child?».
And then the boy told the stranger about his failures in his studies, and then asked him to pray for him, so that the Lord would help him master reading and writing. Then the elder took out a piece of prosphora from his knapsack, then blessed and ordered him to eat it. At the same time he said:
“...from now on the Lord will grant you good knowledge of literacy, greater than that of your brothers and peers.”
After this, Bartholomew asked the traveler to visit his parents’ house, and already leaving their hospitable home, the elder said:
“Your son will be the abode of the Holy Trinity and will lead many after him to the understanding of the Divine commandments.”
Bartholomew, already in adolescence, began to be strict about eating and prayed at night. Mom tried to dissuade her son from excessive severity and abstinence, but Bartholomew was adamant in his choice. Instead of playing with his peers, the boy went to church, read holy and spiritual books.
Around 1328, the parents of the future saint went bankrupt due to the excesses of the then officials, and then his family moved to Radonezh from Rostov. Bartholomew even then wanted to live a monastic life and asked his parents for blessings. His father and mother asked him to take care of them until death, and then become a monk. But after some time, both parents of the saint themselves took monastic vows, then each went to his own monastery. They lived as monks for several years, after which they left earthly life.
Monastic life
After Bartholomew buried his parents, he went to the Khotkovo-Pokrovsky Monastery, to his older brother Stefan, who by that time was a monk. But the saint needed more “strict monasticism,” so he stayed in the monastery for only a short time. Around 1335, he, together with Stefan, left the monastery and founded a hermitage in the remote Radonezh forest on the banks of the Konchura river. At this place they built a small wooden church in the name of the Holy Trinity. Now on this site there is a cathedral church also in the name of the Holy Trinity.
The life of the “hermits” was very hard and ascetic. Stefan could not withstand the harsh tests and left for Moscow to the Epiphany Monastery. Later he became its abbot.
When Bartholomew was left alone, he invited Elder Mitrofan to his place, who tonsured him as a monk. This happened at the age of about twenty years. The new monk was given the name Sergius when he was tonsured.
Formation of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery
The Monk Sergius remained to live in the hermitage. In the biography of the saint it is written that he fed the wild animals that came to his hut; a bear even visited him for a whole year, to which Sergius left a piece of bread every day.
Life was not easy, but, despite the difficulties, there were monks who wanted to live next to Sergius, they even built their cells nearby. 
Over time, twelve monks joined Sergius. In the hermitage they served midnight office, matins, hours, and a priest was invited to serve mass, since Sergius by that time was neither a priest nor an abbot, he did not want to take the rank out of his humility. Despite his leading role in the creation of this settlement, Sergius still remained a model of humility for the monks - he, like everyone else, did any work. He carried water, chopped wood, cooked food, and prayed fervently at night. By his example, he confirmed the established rule - to live according to one’s labors, and not with the help of alms.
Very little time passed, and this monastery became famous in the area; many people decided to donate their property to it and moved closer to Sergius. Thus, this monastery ceased to suffer from poverty, and gradually turned into a rich monastery.
They even learned about it in Constantinople, and Ecumenical Patriarch Philotheus solemnly handed over to Sergius the cross, paraman, schema and letter in which he glorified him for such a virtuous life.
On the advice of the patriarch and with the blessing of Metropolitan Alexei, the Monk Sergius introduced a community-living charter in the monastery, which was later taken as the basis in almost all monasteries in Rus'.
Having begun to live according to such a strict rule, the monks began to grumble about their hard life, because they were already accustomed to wealth and glory, and, seeing this discontent, St. Sergius decided to leave the monastery. He went to the Kirzhach River, where he founded a new monastery in honor of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Without St. Sergius, the former monastery began to decline, the monks began to scatter, and those who remained asked Metropolitan Alexy to help them return the saint.
The Monk Sergius complied with the saint's request and returned, leaving the Kirzhach Monastery in the care of the Monk Roman, his favorite disciple.
During his lifetime, St. Sergius received from God the gift of working miracles; the fame of his miracles became known not only in the immediate area, but also far beyond the monastery. Everyone received help, healing or life-saving advice from him. There is a known case when a saint was able, by God’s will, to resurrect a child who died in his father’s arms.
People loved St. Sergius and revered him on a par with the holy fathers, but he still remained a model of humility; human glory was not a vital necessity for the saint.
An interesting incident is known that happened with the Bishop of Perm, Saint Stephen (April 27), who very much loved and revered St. Sergius.
Saint Stephen once passed by the Sergius Monastery on his way to Moscow, but he did not have the opportunity to visit Sergius. Stefan decided that he would visit the monastery on the way back, stopped on the road, prayed, bowed and said the words that were addressed to St. Sergius:
"Peace be with you, spiritual brother"
At this time the saint was in the refectory; he suddenly stood up, read a prayer and sent a return blessing to the saint. The brethren who were next to Sergius were very surprised by the unusual act, and some disciples went to the indicated place, caught up with the saint and were convinced that the vision was true.
More than once, monks witnessed other miracles that happened to Saint Sergius. Once, during the divine liturgy, an Angel of the Lord served the Reverend, but Sergius, in his humility, never talked about this and even forbade anyone to talk about this miracle until the end of his earthly life.
The Monk Sergius was spiritually very close to Metropolitan Saint Alexy, who very much wanted, after his death, to leave the Russian Metropolis in the care of the saint. Sergius never became high priest, humbly refusing such an honor.
In his life, Sergius often turned out to be an instrument of reconciliation between warring people. During the Mongol-Tatar yoke, to defeat the enemy, he was able "in quiet and meek words" convince the princes to submit to the Grand Duke of Moscow. Rostov, Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan prince Oleg and many others, according to the conviction of St. Sergius, humbled their pride and stood under the banner of Prince Dmitry Ioannovich in the Battle of Kulikovo.
Before this decisive battle, Prince Dmitry, along with many boyars and governors, came to Sergius to receive his blessing. The saint blessed the prince and predicted his victory in this battle. From the monastery on a campaign, together with Dmitry, two warrior monks, Peresvet and Ooslabya, went on a campaign, who, together with the soldiers, fought the enemy.
According to church canons, monks are not allowed to take up arms, but St. Sergius deviated from this law. When people saw two monks next to Prince Dmitry, everyone understood that this war was sacred and this instilled great confidence in victory.
During his angelic life, St. Sergius was awarded a heavenly vision. One night, the Mother of God herself appeared to Saint Sergius, who was praying with his disciple the Monk Micah (May 6), along with the holy apostles Peter and John the Theologian. From the unearthly bright light The Monk Sergius fell to the ground, and the Most Holy Mother of God touched him with her hands and blessed him, promising to always be the patroness of his holy monastery.
Having lived to an advanced age, Sergius, six months before his death, blessed his disciple, the Monk Nikon, experienced in spiritual life and obedience, to be abbot.
On the eve of the day of departure from earthly life, St. Sergius last time addressed the brethren with his will, in which he said:
“Take heed to yourselves, brothers. First have the fear of God, spiritual purity and unfeigned love...”
In addition to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, Sergius founded several more monasteries, such as the Annunciation Monastery on Kirzhach, Staro-Golutvin near Kolomna, the Vysotsky Monastery, and the St. George Monastery on Klyazma. In all these monasteries he appointed his students as abbots.
More than 40 monasteries were founded by his students: Savva (Savvo-Storozhevsky near Zvenigorod), Ferapont (Ferapontov), Kirill (Kirillo-Belozersky), Sylvester (Voskresensky Obnorsky), etc., as well as his spiritual interlocutors, such as Stefan of Perm.
GREATNESS
We bless you, Reverend Father Sergius, and honor your holy memory, teacher of monks and interlocutor of angels.
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