Nikolai Guryanov about the church in recent times. Elder Nikolai Guryanov - Vera77

09.05.2022

(24.05.1909–24.08.2002)

Biography

Childhood and youthful years. First steps in independent living

Alekseevich was born in the village of Chudskiye Zakhodtsy, St. Petersburg Province, on May 24, 1909. His father, Alexey Ivanovich, served as the regent of the church choir. Mother, Ekaterina Stefanovna, a pious woman, performed duties at home, helped her husband in raising children. After his death in 1914, the entire burden of responsibility for the family fell on her shoulders.

Nicholas from childhood was brought up within the framework of Christian traditions. He happily served in the church of the village of Kobylye Gorodishche, learned to pray, loved to listen to church singing. From time to time, when local pilgrims gathered on a pilgrimage to holy places, Nicholas was taken with them.

As a youth, he was honored to visit the island of Talabsk (years later this place became a place of asceticism for him). Around 1920, the rector of the church in which Nicholas served took him to the city of Pskov. Their path lay along the surface of the lake. On the island of Talabsk we made a stop and visited the local seer Michael. The seer, having met the guests, gave the shepherd a small, and Nikolai a large prosphora.

Upon reaching a more mature age, Nikolai entered the Pedagogical College in Gatchina. After graduating from a technical school, he continued his education at the Leningrad Pedagogical Institute.

Nikolai was distinguished by a strong-willed character. In 1929, driven by zeal for the Lord and a spiritual outburst, he publicly and sharply expressed his indignation against the closure of one of the city's churches. This courageous speech, contrary to the ideology and policy of the party moving towards communism, caused discontent, and the institute leadership expelled from the students.

For some time, Nikolai taught physics, mathematics, biology at a school in the city of Tosno, served as a psalmist in the church of the village of Remda.

Prisoner of truth and conscience

The persecution of Christians launched by the godless authorities did not pass by him. In May 1930, he fell under the millstones of the state repressive machine: Nikolai was accused of counter-revolutionary activities and expelled from the territory of the RSFSR for two years. Arriving in the Ukrainian SSR, in the village of Sidorovichi, he again showed his religious activity - he got a job as a psalmist.

Soon there were “not indifferent” people who reported “where it should be” that Nikolai Alekseevich was conducting unhealthy propaganda activities, corrupting people with stories about God, and recruiting young people into the church choir. These signals did not go unnoticed. In March 1931, they were taken into custody in the “case of kulaks”.

During the trial, it turned out that the accused Guryanov has no property, but only rheumatism. And the defendant himself pleaded not guilty. Meanwhile, the property issue was not a priority, because the case concerned anti-Soviet propaganda.

In August 1931, Nikolai was sentenced to exile for three years in the Northern Territory. So he ended up in Syktyvkar, where he participated in the construction of the railway. Sometimes they had to work in icy water, which caused the death of the prisoners. Working in these inhuman conditions, Nikolai undermined his health. In addition, he received damage to his legs while working with sleepers.

According to some sources, he was released in 1937, and according to others - in 1942. After his release, Nikolai Alekseevich, as having no right to live in Leningrad, was expelled outside the city. For some period he worked as a school teacher in the Tosnensky district.

priestly path

During the Great Patriotic War, due to illness in his legs, he was not mobilized into the army. During the period of fascist occupation, he was forcibly sent to the Baltic states.

In February 1942, Metropolitan Sergius of Vilna consecrated him to the rank of deacon, and a few days later, to the rank of priest.

In 1942, he studied at the theological courses in the city of Vilnius. Then, for some time, he served in the Riga Women's Trinity-Sergius Convent, after which - in the Vilna Holy Spirit Monastery.

From July 1943, Father Nikolai acted as rector of the church of St. Nicholas, located in the village of Gegobrosta. According to the memoirs of his contemporaries, the parishioners treated him with great respect; the shepherd himself treated them with great kindness, friendliness and responsiveness. It is noted that despite the poverty of the parish, it was distinguished by well-being. No matter how difficult it was to find the funds necessary for the repair and maintenance of the temple, the temple was magnificent with the help of God.

In the period from 1949 to 1951, Father Nikolai studied in absentia at the Leningrad Theological Seminary. After graduating from it, he continued his education at the Leningrad Theological Academy, but studied for only one year.

In 1956, father was awarded the rank of archpriest.

In 1958, by order of the church authorities, he was transferred to serve in the Pskov diocese. For reasons of ecclesiastical economy and taking into account Father Nicholas's own desire, he was appointed rector at the church of St. Nicholas, located on the territory of the fishing island of Talabsk in Lake Pskov, the very one where the seer once handed him a large prosphora. The father spent several decades of his life on this island.

Father Nikolai settled on the outskirts of the island in a tiny house, together with his mother, Ekaterina Stefanovna. The brothers of the ascetic died at the front, and he, as best he could, smoothed over his mother's grief, and she helped her beloved son as much as she could.

At first, Father Nikolai aroused suspicion among the unbelieving part of the islanders, but over time, people saw in him a zealous and humble servant of God. He served alone, baked prosphora himself, repaired it himself. It happened that he served as a priest in an empty church. It was difficult, and once, when he was tormented by strong feelings, a small child, as if penetrating into the mind of a wise husband, asked him not to leave. Father Nikolai took these words as the voice of God and took heart.

Along with the performance of pastoral duties, the priest tried to ennoble the island, planted seedlings, carefully watered them, dragging dozens of buckets of water from the lake.

Often, even without an invitation, he visited the homes of those who needed his pastoral comfort, word and blessing. It happened that Father Nikolai looked after the elderly, nursed the children of the parishioners.

All this could not but affect people. When one of the residents wrote a slanderous denunciation against the priest, the local fishermen, returning from fishing, contrary to custom, did not give her fish. This is how they expressed both their attitude towards the shepherd and their attitude towards the scammer dumbfounded by their behavior.

An example of Orthodox eldership

Over time, the island of Talabsk, barely visible on the geographical map, began to be secretly called the island of Orthodoxy. The fame of Father Nikolai and his activities spread far beyond the vicinity of the Pskov land.

In addition to jealousy and zeal, he rewarded the priest with the gift of clairvoyance. They say that sometimes the elder even reported the fate of missing people.

In the seventies, dozens of believers from different parts of the vast country began to flock to the priest. It happened that due to the large influx of visitors, he could not find himself even a minute to rest. True, he did not accept everyone. Sometimes he could afford a strict question: why did you come (came)?

Among the spiritual children of Father Nicholas were laymen, monks, and priests. He is rightfully considered one of the most revered elders of the XX-XXI century.

On August 24, 2002, my father reposed in the Lord. Death found him at the place of his exploits, the island of Talabsk.

Elders / Father

Not far from Pskov on the lake there is an island named Talabsk. It is also called Zalit Island, because earlier the collective farm named after Ivan (Yan) Zalit was located on it. For forty years, Father Nikolai Guryanov, an archpriest, one of the most revered elders of the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, served in the church on this island.

Childhood and youth

On May 24, 1909, in the village of Chudskiye Zakhody near Gdov, a child was born in an ordinary Orthodox family. They named the baby at baptism Nicholas, in honor of the Saint. His father Alexei Stepanovich Guryanov, the church choir director, died quite young, in 1914. And on the shoulders of mother Ekaterina Stepanovna lay the care of four sons. All the brothers of Nikolai went to their father - they had an ear for music. The elder Mikhail even taught at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. And the war took them all away.

The mother left only Nikolai, and he happened to take care of his mother, who, as best she could, helped her son in his service to God until her death in 1969. Such a development of events was foreseen by the father, who once told his wife that it was this son who would “look after” her in old age. In his youth, Nikolai Guryanov, who had a sharp character, made a lot of efforts to learn not to flare up over a trifle.

There is no doubt that faith helped in this young man. From an early age, Nikolai was brought up according to Orthodox traditions, served at the altar of a local church, and sometimes went on pilgrimages to holy places with pilgrims. So, even in his youth, he visited the island of Talabsk, where he lived for so many years.

Nikolai graduated from a pedagogical college in Gatchina, entered the Leningrad Pedagogical Institute, and then he faced a choice between faith and a more or less calm life in a country that denied God. In 1929, Guryanov was expelled from the first year of the university, because he opposed the closure of a certain temple.

This performance did not prevent the closure of the temple, but at the same time closed the young man's way to a university diploma. And, of course, the NKVD paid close attention to the champion of the faith. Nikolai returned to his native village, served as a psalmist and at the same time taught children mathematics, physics and biology.

life

Communist persecution of the church was expressed not only in the closure of churches, but also in the repression of clergy. Many ended up in the camps, including Nikolai Guryanov. He was arrested for religious propaganda. Before the trial, the future Talab elder spent several months in the infamous Leningrad “Crosses”, and after the verdict was announced, he served time in Syktyvkar, in one of the “islands” of the terrible “Gulag archipelago”. There, prisoners built a railway in inhuman conditions, Nikolai became disabled - both of his legs were crippled.

According to some sources, he was released in 1937, and according to others - in 1942. After his release, Nikolai, as a repressed man, was unable to obtain a residence permit in Leningrad. I had to settle in the Tosnensky district. Guryanov was lucky there - there were not enough teachers in rural schools, and he got a job, despite the fact that he did not have a higher education, and, on the contrary, he had a criminal record.

When the Great Patriotic War began, a disabled teacher was not taken into the army. In addition, then they remembered about his criminal record. When Leningrad was taken into the blockade ring, Nikolai ended up in the territory occupied by the Nazis, and was forcibly deported to the Baltic states.

It was during the occupation that Guryanov finally dedicated himself to God. On February 8, 1942, he was ordained a deacon. Metropolitan Sergius (Voskresensky) performed the rite of ordination. Simultaneously with the dignity, Nicholas took celibacy - a vow of celibacy until the end of his life. And already on February 15, 1942 he received the holy dignity. After graduating from theological courses, Nikolai left for Riga, where he served as a priest in the convent of the Holy Trinity. Then, for almost a year, he worked as a tutor at the Holy Spirit Monastery in Vilnius.

Since 1943, Guryanov was the rector of the church of St. Nicholas in the village of Gegobrosti in Lithuania. In 1956, Father Nikolai received the rank of archpriest. According to the memoirs of his parishioner Rimma Orlova, Father Nikolai was distinguished by his kindness and friendliness, he served with inspiration, shining, involving all the parishioners in the act of worship.

Not a monk, he led a more austere life than a monastic one. He observed asceticism in everything - in prayer, fasting, human relations. And selflessly served God, setting an example for everyone around. No wonder his parish was called "an oasis of Orthodox piety" in the middle of Catholic Lithuania.

Fr. Nikolay combined his ministry with studies – in 1951 he received a diploma from the Vilna Theological Seminary, then studied in absentia at the Leningrad Theological Academy. And in 1958 he left to serve God on the island of Talabsk, linking his biography with him forever. People who knew Guryanov closely recalled that the name of the place of service was given to Father Nikolai by a certain elder, to whom he went.

The late 1950s and early 1960s were the time of Khrushchev's anti-religious campaign, when the authorities announced a close victory over obscurantism, referring to Orthodoxy. Therefore, in Talabsk, Nikolai and his mother were greeted with suspicion. But the benevolence, meekness and patience of the priest helped to establish good relations with the locals.

With his own hands, Father Nikolai restored his dilapidated temple - he painted the walls, re-roofed the roof. He himself, without the help of the diocese, was looking for funds for materials for repairs. He baked prosvirki with his own hands, when services had already begun in the church. And also - he helped everyone he could, looked after the elderly, nursed children, planted trees on the island.

In the early years, having already established good-neighbourly relations with the inhabitants of Talabsk, Nikolai often led divine services without a flock - people did not go to church under the influence of anti-religious propaganda. One of the villagers even wrote a denunciation of the priest. A representative of the authorities came to the island, got nasty, rude and said that tomorrow he would take the archpriest.

All night Father Nikolai prayed, and in the morning miracles began, or a combination of circumstances, as one prefers to consider. A storm began on the lake, and for three days it was impossible to get from the mainland to the island. And then the authorities seemed to have forgotten about Guryanov.

In the 1970s, Nikolai Guryanov, who was already called Elder Nikolai, gained unprecedented fame. His prophecies came true, and therefore people went to him from all over the Soviet Union. The elder unmistakably called strangers by name, warned them of the dangers threatening them, and told them how to avoid them.

He took pity on the possessed, performed the rite of exorcism, begged God for healing from incurable diseases. Nikolai Guryanov, among other things, was very tactful in his sermons and statements, he gave instructions without degrading the dignity of the person who asked for help.

In 1988, the elder was awarded the miter and the right to serve with the Royal Doors open up to the Cherubic Door, and in 1992 the right to serve the liturgy with the Royal Doors open up to the Our Father. This is the highest church distinction for an archpriest. There were rumors that Nikolai Guryanov was secretly ordained to the rank of bishop, but then these awards are called into question, because the episcopal dignity in itself gives such rights.

In the late Soviet and post-Soviet periods, when the church began to receive state support, the number of admirers of Elder Nicholas grew both among Russians and among Orthodox abroad. In Canada, with his blessing, a monastery was founded.

Other well-known creative people also came to the elder for a blessing. In addition, in the late 1990s, the elder predicted the future of Russia, and the true meaning of these prophecies is disputed to this day.

As Igor Izbortsev, the author of the book about the elder, wrote, the island of Talabsk was called the island of Orthodoxy. Actually, Father Nikolai was a “fertile island” for believers. In one interview, the elder was asked what worries him about his contemporaries. And he answered: "Unbelief."

“Go to the temple and believe in the Lord. To whom the Church is not a mother, God is not the Father” - this quote from Elder Nicholas should be remembered by every Orthodox Christian.

Death

The life of Father Nikolai Guryanov ended with his death on August 24, 2002 on the island of Talabsk. There he is buried.

More than 3,000 believers gathered at the elder's funeral. Pilgrims to this day come to the grave of the elder.

Memory

The film "The Word of Truth", filmed in 2003, tells that the elder supported the royal god and called for canonization and. But, according to fans of Nikolai Guryanov, in recent years, the old man, due to his weakness, depended on the environment, which began to pass off all sorts of speculation as the speeches of the priest. Their opinion is confirmed by an article by Yuri Maksimov in the journal "Blessed Fire". But the fact that Father Nikolai respectfully spoke of the royal family still seems to be true.

The Society of Zealots for the Memory of the Righteous Nicholas of Pskovoezersky (Nikolai Guryanov) was created. There is an icon, as well as the Akathist and the Canon of the Holy Father, our Righteous Nicholas of Pskovoezersky, Bishop of God.

The book "Archpriest Nikolai Guryanov" was published in the series "People of God" by the publishing house of the Sretensky Monastery. Any Internet user has access to the old man's photos.

Nikolai Alekseevich Guryanov(May 24, the village of Chudsky Zakhody, St. Petersburg Province - August 24, Ostrov-Zalit, Pskov Region) - Soviet and Russian religious figure. Archpriest. One of the most revered elders of the Russian Orthodox Church of the late XX - early XXI centuries.

Biography

Family and childhood

Born into a peasant family. Father, Alexei Ivanovich Guryanov, was the regent of the church choir, died in. The elder brother, Mikhail Alekseevich Guryanov, taught at the St. Petersburg Conservatory; younger brothers, Peter and Anatoly, also had musical abilities. All three brothers died in the war. Mother, Ekaterina Stepanovna Guryanova, helped her son in his labors for many years, died on May 23, was buried in the cemetery of Zalit Island.

From childhood, Nicholas served at the altar in the church of Michael the Archangel. As a child, Metropolitan Veniamin (Kazan) visited the parish. Father Nikolai recalled this event in the following way: “I was still a boy. Vladyka served, and I held his staff. Then he hugged me, kissed me and said: “How happy you are that you are with the Lord ...“.

teacher, prisoner, priest

He graduated from the Gatchina Pedagogical College, studied at the Leningrad Pedagogical Institute, from where he was expelled for speaking out against the closure of one of the churches [ ] . V - served as a psalm reader in Tosno, moonlighting as a tutor in mathematics, physics and biology. Then he was a psalmist in the St. Nicholas Church in the village of Remda, Seredkinsky (now Pskov) district of the Leningrad (now Pskov) region. He was arrested, was in the Leningrad prison "Crosses", was serving a sentence in a camp in Syktyvkar of the Komi ASSR [ ] . After his release, he could not get a residence permit in Leningrad and taught in rural schools in the Tosnensky district of the Leningrad region.

Service in Lithuania

"Talab elder"

From 1958 he served in the Pskov diocese, was appointed rector of the church of St. Nicholas on the island of Talabsk (Zalita) on Lake Pskov, he was invariably until his death. B was awarded a miter and the right to serve with the Royal Doors open up to the “Cherubim”. He was awarded the right to serve the liturgy with the Royal Doors open until the Lord's Prayer - the highest church distinction for an archpriest (excluding the extremely rare rank of protopresbyter). For many years, Fr. Orthodox believers from different regions of the country came to Nicholas for advice. The Zalit priest had a reputation as a wise old man. He was called “Talabsky” or “Zalitsky” (after the former name of the island, which was renamed in Soviet times in memory of the Bolshevik activist Zalit) as an old man.

The island of Orthodoxy was called a small, barely distinguishable even on a large-scale map, the island of Talabsk (Zalita), washed by the waters of Lake Pskov. Here, on this tiny part of the land, for many years ships and boats of carriers delivered pilgrims from all over the Orthodox world. The route never changed: the mainland - the island - the house of Archpriest Nikolai Guryanov ... But it was here, in the cell, that the island of Orthodoxy actually began, it began with him, the Zalit elder father Nikolai. He was this fertile island; an island standing unshakably in the midst of the raging sea of life; an island and at the same time a ship sailing the most convenient route to blissful eternity.

Hieromonk Nestor (Kumysh) recalled Fr. Nicholas:

He clearly saw the past, present and future life of his children, their inner disposition. But how carefully he handled the knowledge about man that the Lord gave him as His faithful servant! Knowing the whole truth about a person, he did not allow a single hint that could hurt or hurt his pride. In what a soft form did he clothe his edifications! “You take it easy,” he met with such advice to my acquaintance, who had not yet had time to say a couple of words, who had learned a somewhat harsh manner of treating his wife. This happened often and with many people: arriving for one purpose, a person left him with that revelation about himself and with that lesson that he did not expect to hear and receive at all.

There is a story that Fr. Nikolai was asked: “Thousands of people have come to you in your life, you have peered attentively into their souls. Tell me what worries you the most in the souls of modern people - what sin, what passion? What is the most dangerous for us now? To this he replied: “Unbelief”, and to a clarifying question - “Even among Christians” - he answered: “Yes, even among Orthodox Christians. To whom the Church is not the Mother, God is not the Father.” According to Fr. Nicholas, a believer should treat everything that surrounds him lovingly.

The reputation of a miracle worker came to him when Igor Stolyarov, who escaped from the Komsomolets nuclear submarine, found the old man. Years later, a sailor from Siberia, who had survived a terrible accident, came to Zalita. And he immediately recognized in Father Nicholas the same old man who appeared to him when the sailor who got out of the hold was losing consciousness in the icy waters of the Atlantic. The gray-bearded old man called himself Archpriest Nikolai and said: “Swim, I pray for you, you will be saved.” And disappeared. A log appeared from somewhere, and soon the Coast Guard and rescuers arrived. (Note: there was not a single sailor named Igor Stolyarov in the crew of the K-219 submarine. We are probably talking about warrant officer Viktor Slyusarenko) source unspecified 3417 days

13 years have passed since the death of the famous elder mitered archpriest Nikolai Guryanov. He died at the age of 93 on August 24, 2002. Elder Nicholas was vouchsafed many gifts of the Holy Spirit, among them the gifts of insight, healing, and miracles. From all over Russia, believers came to the elder to Zalit Island in need of spiritual advice and prayerful help.

Elder Nikolai Guryanov

Nikolai Guryanov - one of the most revered elders of the Russian Orthodox Church of the late XX - early XXI centuries. Numerous prophecies uttered by him came true during his lifetime - predictions about the overthrow of communism in Russia, the canonization of Nicholas II, the death of the nuclear submarines "Komsomolets" and "Kursk" and many others, which he witnessed during his lifetime.

Elder Nikolai Guryanov endured harassment from the authorities, prison and camp imprisonment, and exile for confessing his faith. After he was expelled from the institute for speaking out against the closure of churches, he went to serve in the church and was arrested for this. At first there was a conclusion in the "Crosses", then - a link to a camp near Kyiv, and then - a settlement in Syktyvkar, he laid a railway in the Arctic. He spent the war years in the Baltics. There he took the priesthood, then moved to the fishing island of Talabsk, where he spent the rest of his life.

Thanks to the elder’s prayers, people’s illnesses receded, an ear for music appeared, the mind was enlightened in the knowledge of difficult subjects during study, professional skills were improved, worldly perplexities were settled, and the future path of life was often determined.

Family and childhood

Nikolai Guryanov was born into a merchant family. Father, Alexei Ivanovich Guryanov, was the regent of the church choir, died in 1914. The elder brother, Mikhail Alekseevich Guryanov, taught at the St. Petersburg Conservatory; younger brothers, Peter and Anatoly, also had musical abilities.

All three brothers died in the war. Mother, Ekaterina Stefanovna Guryanova, helped her son in his labors for many years, died on May 23, 1969, and was buried in the cemetery of Zalit Island.

From childhood, Nicholas served at the altar in the church of Michael the Archangel. As a child, Metropolitan Veniamin (Kazansky) visited the parish. Father Nikolai recalled this event in the following way: “I was just a kid. Vladyka served, and I held his staff. Then he hugged me, kissed me and said: “How happy you are that you are with the Lord ...“.

teacher, prisoner, priest

Nikolai Guryanov graduated from the Gatchina Pedagogical College, studied at the Leningrad Pedagogical Institute, from where he was expelled for speaking out against the closure of one of the churches. In 1929-1931 he taught mathematics, physics and biology at school, served as a reader in Tosno.

Then he was a psalm reader at the St. Nicholas Church in the village of Remda, Seredkinsky District, Leningrad (now Pskov) Region. He was arrested, was in the Leningrad prison "Crosses", was serving a sentence in a camp in Syktyvkar, Komi ASSR. After his release, he could not get a residence permit in Leningrad and taught in rural schools in the Tosnensky district of the Leningrad region.

During the Great Patriotic War, he was not mobilized into the Red Army, as he crippled his legs in hard work in the camps. He was in the occupied territory. On February 8, 1942, he was ordained (celibate, that is, in a celibate state) to the rank of deacon by Metropolitan Sergius (Voskresensky), who was under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Since February 15, 1942 - a priest. In 1942 he graduated from theological courses, served as a priest in the Holy Trinity Convent in Riga (until April 28, 1942). Then, until May 16, 1943, he was a usher in the Holy Spirit Monastery in Vilnius.

Service in Lithuania

In 1943-1958 he was rector of the church of St. Nicholas in the village of Gegobrosty, Panevezys deanery, Vilna-Lithuanian diocese. Since 1956 - archpriest.

Father Nikolai was unusually devoted to the church. Not being a monk, he lived stricter than a monk in everything - both in food, and in relation to people and prayer. His way of life can be called truly Christian: people saw in him an example of selfless service to the Lord.

Archpriest Iosif Dzichkovsky believed that "such parishes are an oasis of Orthodox piety in Catholic Lithuania." The official reference issued to Archpriest Nikolai by Archbishop Alexy (Dekhterev) of Vilna and Lithuania in 1958 stated: “This is, without a doubt, an outstanding priest. Although his parish was small and poor (150 parishioners), it was well-organized in such a way that it can be a good example for many. Without receiving any allowance from the Diocese, he managed to find local funds for which he overhauled the temple and brought it into a magnificent appearance. The parish cemetery is also kept in rare order. In personal life - impeccable behavior. This is a shepherd - an ascetic and a prayer book. Celibacy. He gave his whole soul, all his strength, all his knowledge, all his heart to the parish, and for this he was always loved not only by his parishioners, but also by everyone who only came into closer contact with this good shepherd.”

While serving in a parish in Lithuania, Fr Nikolai received a theological education in absentia at the Leningrad Theological Seminary and the Leningrad Theological Academy.

"Talab Elder"

Since 1958, Father Nikolai began to serve in the Pskov diocese, was appointed rector of the church of St. Nicholas on the island of Talabsk (Zalita) on Lake Pskov, he was invariably until his death.

In the 70s, people from all over the country began to come to Father Nikolai on the island - they began to revere him as an old man. He was called “Talabsky” or “Zalitsky” (after the former name of the island, which was renamed in Soviet times in memory of the Bolshevik activist Zalit) as an old man.

Father Nikolai Guryanov's house

Not only church people were drawn to him, but also fallen souls, feeling the warmth of his heart. Once forgotten by everyone, at times, he did not know a minute of peace from visitors, and alien to worldly glory, he only quietly complained: “Oh, if only you would run to church like you run after me!” His spiritual gifts could not go unnoticed: he called strangers by name, revealed forgotten sins, warned of possible dangers, instructed, helped change life, arrange it on a Christian basis, begged for the seriously ill.

There is a story that Father Nikolai was asked: “Thousands of people came to you during your life, you peered attentively into their souls. Tell me what worries you most in the souls of modern people - what sin, what passion? What is the most dangerous for us now? To this he replied: "Unbelief", and to a clarifying question - "Even Christians"- answered: “Yes, even among Orthodox Christians. To whom the Church is not the Mother, God is not the Father.” According to Fr Nikolai, a believer should have a loving attitude towards everything that surrounds him.

Evidence has been preserved that, through the prayers of the priest, the fate of the missing people was revealed to him. In the 90s. The well-known throughout the country, the Pechersk Elder, Archimandrite John (Krestyankin), testified about Father Nikolai that he was “the only, truly, far-sighted elder on the territory of the former USSR.” He knew the will of God about man, he guided many along the shortest path leading to salvation.

In 1988, Archpriest Nikolai Guryanov was awarded a miter and the right to serve with the Royal Doors open up to the Cherubim. In 1992, he was awarded the right to serve the liturgy with the Royal Doors open until the Lord's Prayer, the highest church distinction for an archpriest (excluding the extremely rare rank of protopresbyter).

Father Nicholas was famous both in Russia and among Orthodox people outside of it. So, in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, on the shore of a forest lake, with his blessing, a skete was founded.

The elder also enjoyed fame and love among creative youth and the intelligentsia: Konstantin Kinchev, Olga Kormukhina, Alexei Belov and many others came to the island for a blessing for creativity. In addition, the elder became the prototype of the hero of the film "The Island", where the rock poet and musician Pyotr Mamonov played the main role.

More than 3,000 Orthodox believers took part in the funeral of Father Nicholas on the island of Talabsk (Zalit). Many admirers visit the grave of the elder. The Society of Zealots for the Memory of the Righteous Nicholas of Pskovoezersky (Nikolai Guryanov) was established.

Instructions of Archpriest Nikolai Guryanov

Batiushka generally spoke little, apparently he was by nature silent, therefore his rare statements were aphoristic - a whole life program was contained in one phrase. That is why everything said by the elder was so vividly remembered.

1. “Our life is blessed... The gift of God... We have a treasure in ourselves - the soul. If we save it in this temporary world, where we came as strangers, we will inherit Eternal Life.”

2. " Seek purity. Don't listen to bad and dirty things about anyone... Do not stop at an unkind thought... Flee from untruths... Never be afraid to speak the truth, only with prayer and, first, ask the Lord for blessings.”

3. “You need to live not only for yourself ... Try to pray quietly for everyone… Do not push or humiliate anyone.”

4. “Our thoughts and words have great power on the world around us. Pray with tears for everyone - sick, weak, sinners, for those for whom there is no one to pray.

5. " Don't be too strict. Excessive severity is dangerous. It stops the soul only at an external feat, without giving depth. Be gentle, do not chase external rules. Mentally talk with the Lord and the saints. Try not to teach, but gently prompt each other, correct. Be simple and sincere. After all, the world is such a God's ... Look around - all creation thanks the Lord. And you live like this - in peace with God.

6. " Obedience… It starts in early childhood. With obedience to parents. These are our first lessons from the Lord.”

7. “Remember that all people are weak and unjust. Learn to forgive, not be offended. It is better to move away from those who harm you - you won’t be forced to be nice ... Do not look for friends among people. Look for them in Heaven - among the saints. They will never leave or betray."

8. Trust in the Lord without a doubt . The Lord Himself lives in our heart and there is no need to look for Him somewhere… far away.”

9. “Be always joyful, and in the most difficult days of your life don't forget to thank God A grateful heart needs nothing.

ten. " Take Care of Your Peace of Mind and there will be order in the world.”

eleven. " Rely my dears, to the will of God and everything will be just the way you want it to be."

12. " Never take off the cross . Read the morning and evening prayers without fail.

13. "You can save yourself both in the family and in the monastery, just live a holy peaceful life."

fourteen. " Go to the temple and believe in the Lord . To whom the Church is not a mother, God is not a father. Humility and prayer are the main things. One black dress - not yet humility ».

Nikolai Guryanov - one of the most revered elders of the Russian Orthodox Church of the late XX - early XXI centuries. Numerous prophecies uttered by him came true during his lifetime - predictions about the overthrow of communism in Russia, the canonization of Nicholas II, the death of the nuclear submarines "Komsomolets" and "Kursk" and many others, which he witnessed during his lifetime.

Elder Nikolai Guryanov endured harassment from the authorities, prison and camp imprisonment, and exile for confessing his faith. After he was expelled from the institute for speaking out against the closure of churches, he went to serve in the church and was arrested for this. First there was a conclusion in the "Crosses", then - a link to a camp near Kyiv, and then - a settlement in Syktyvkar, in the Arctic he laid a railway. He spent the war years in the Baltics. There he took the priesthood, then moved to the fishing island of Talabsk, where he spent the rest of his life.

Family and childhood

All three brothers died in the war. Mother, Ekaterina Stefanovna Guryanova, helped her son in his labors for many years, died on May 23, 1969, and was buried in the cemetery of Zalit Island.

teacher, prisoner, priest

"Talab Elder"

Since 1958, Father Nikolai began to serve in the Pskov diocese, was appointed rector of the church of St. Nicholas on the island of Talabsk (Zalita) on Lake Pskov, he was invariably until his death.

Father Nikolai Guryanov's house

There is a story that Father Nikolai was asked: “Thousands of people came to you during your life, you peered attentively into their souls. Tell me what worries you the most in the souls of modern people - what sin, what passion? What is the most dangerous for us now? To this he replied: "Unbelief", and to a clarifying question - "Even Christians"- answered: “Yes, even among Orthodox Christians. To whom the Church is not the Mother, God is not the Father.” According to Fr Nikolai, a believer should have a loving attitude towards everything that surrounds him.

Evidence has been preserved that, through the prayers of the priest, the fate of the missing people was revealed to him. In the 90s. The well-known throughout the country, the Pechersk Elder - Archimandrite John (Krestyankin) testified about Father Nikolai that he is "the only, truly, far-sighted elder on the territory of the former USSR." He knew the will of God about man, he guided many along the shortest path leading to salvation.

In 1988, Archpriest Nikolai Guryanov was awarded a miter and the right to serve with the Royal Doors open up to the Cherubim. In 1992, he was awarded the right to serve the liturgy with the Royal Doors open until the Lord's Prayer - the highest church honor for an archpriest (excluding the extremely rare rank of archpriest).

Father Nicholas was famous both in Russia and among Orthodox people outside of it. So, in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, on the shore of a forest lake, with his blessing, a skete was founded.

Instructions of Archpriest Nikolai Guryanov

1. “Our life is blessed… The gift of God... We have a treasure in ourselves - the soul. If we save it in this temporary world, where we came as strangers, we will inherit Eternal Life.”

2. “Seek purity. Don't listen to bad and dirty things about anyone... Do not stop at an unkind thought ... Flee from untruths ... Never be afraid to speak the truth, only with prayer and, first, ask the Lord for blessings.

3. “You need to live not only for yourself… Try to quietly pray for everyone… Do not push or humiliate anyone.”

4. “Our thoughts and words have great power on the world around us. Pray with tears for everyone - the sick, the weak, sinners, for those for whom there is no one to pray for.

5. “Don't be too strict. Excessive severity is dangerous. It stops the soul only at an external feat, without giving depth. Be gentle, do not chase external rules. Mentally talk with the Lord and the saints. Try not to teach, but gently prompt each other, correct. Be simple and sincere. After all, the world is such a God's... Look around - all creation thanks the Lord. And you live like this – in peace with God.”

6. “Obedience… It begins in early childhood. With obedience to parents. These are our first lessons from the Lord.”

7. “Remember that all people are weak and unjust. Learn to forgive, not be offended. It is better to move away from those who harm you - you will not be forced to be nice ... Do not look for friends among people. Look for them in Heaven - among the saints. They will never leave or betray."

8. Believe in the Lord, without a doubt. The Lord Himself lives in our heart and there is no need to look for Him somewhere… far away.”

9. "Be always joyful, and in the most difficult days of your life, do not forget to thank God: a grateful heart does not need anything.

10. “Take care of your peace of mind and there will be order in the world.”

11. “Rely, my dears, on the will of God and everything will be just the way you want it to be."

12. "Never take off the cross. Read the morning and evening prayers without fail.

13. “You can save yourself both in the family and in the monastery just live a holy peaceful life.”

14. “Go to the temple and believe in the Lord. To whom the Church is not a mother, God is not a father. Humility and prayer are the main things. One black robe is not yet humility.”

Elder in the memoirs of contemporaries

Abbess of the Pyukhtitsky Monastery Varvara (Trofimova) recalled the elder Nikolai (Guryanov):“To Father Nikolai, as to our spiritual father, we went with Mother George (now Abbess of the Gornensky Jerusalem Convent) to the island every year. Usually we drove through the Pskov-Caves Monastery. I love this ancient monastery very much and especially Father John (Krestyankin). He and Father Nikolai were very similar to each other: they were almost the same age, and they said almost the same thing. The only difference was that Fr. John spoke directly, while Fr. Nikolai was a little foolish in conversation, often giving an answer with a spiritual song. Fleeing human glory, he sometimes walked in a beret, in his mother's blouse, in galoshes. These are my favorite elders!

Simplicity and love for people, animals, plants, everything that God created, distinguished him from others ... When Father Nikolai arrived on the island, there was an empty place near his house, on the contrary - a cemetery with a broken fence and not a single tree. And he so wanted to decorate everything! And he from Kyiv, Pochaev, Vilnius, Pyukhtits collected plants, roots of bushes and flowers and planted them on the island. Father took care of the trees with love. At that time there was no running water, and the priest carried water from the lake, 100-200 buckets each. I watered everything myself: bushes, flowers, and future trees. Near the house, the priest planted chrysanthemums, dahlias, and gladioli. Now we see the fruits of his labors: arborvitae, firs, larches are green everywhere. And where there is greenery, there are birds. How many of them filled the previously empty island with their voices! For them, for the birds of God, Father Nikolai set up an “outdoor dining room”. With his pure soul, the priest was close to everything that was created by the right hand of God.

Father Nicholas was a celibate. Everyone in Vilnius knew him and commemorated him in the notes as the monk Nicholas. I asked Mother Abbess Nina (Batasheva; in the schema - Varvara) about this, and this is what she told me. Father Nikolai said that, if the Lord pleased, he would take monastic vows. Mother Nina even kept the clothes that the sisters made for Fr. Nikolai's tonsure. But during the war, when the nunnery was heavily bombed, everything burned down at Mother Abbess, including this clothing. Father Nikolay reasoned that there was no God's will for his monasticism, and he did not accept tonsure.

Archpriest John Mironov, who had a half-century spiritual friendship with Elder Nikolai, said:“The yard of the modest father’s house-cell was like an illustration to the first chapters of the Book of Genesis: chestnuts, cypresses and other trees, many doves on the branches and roof sit tightly, like chickens on a perch. There are also sparrows and other small birds. And next to the chickens, cats and a dog walk peacefully. And the priest tried to take a liking to everyone, to treat them. The cat Lipushka lived with the priest for 28 years, completely humanized. Once someone hit a crow with a stone, so the priest came out, cured her, and she became completely tame. Every morning then she met the priest, croaked, flapped her wings - greeted. And everything around - both trees and flowers - everything on the island lived with father's care. Bees, midges, bugs - everything was not alien to him. The mosquito won't even hurt you. All creation was to the father's heart. He always watched carefully so that neither the flower nor the tree was damaged.

Vladyka Pavel (Ponomarev; now Metropolitan of Minsk and Zaslavl, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus; in 1988-1992 he was the abbot of the Pskov-Caves Monastery) told the following story:“Mother George (Shchukin) came to us in Pechory. It turns out that she had a conversation with His Holiness the Patriarch about her possible direction to Jerusalem. And she needed to consult with her confessor - Father Nikolai, a famous elder on the island of Zalit. But she didn’t manage to get to the island: steamships no longer run, and the ice has not yet risen ... And the housekeeper asks me: “So bless the helicopter?” ... They called the airport - it turned out to be quite affordable. After 40 minutes, the helicopter was already in the monastery. Arrived - and there is nowhere to land. Good snow just fell. They sat somewhere in the garden. We see: Father Nikolai himself is coming. And the mothers run, making noise. It turns out that after the service and the meal, everyone went to their cells - and suddenly Father Nikolai began to call everyone. “Come out,” he calls. “Mothers, guests are coming to visit us: Mother Abbess of Jerusalem, Father Superior with the brethren of the monastery.” They say: “Father, are you out of your mind? Who is coming to us? Steamboats don't run. Lie down, rest." And suddenly - a helicopter, noise. But then, not only mobile phones, there was no connection with the island at all. And after all, Father Nikolai already called mother the abbess of Jerusalem, although no one knew about her future at all ... "

Archpriest Oleg Teor spoke about the elder:“I appreciated the father from the very first meeting and always revered him very much. I was surprised by his insight. He foresaw a lot and, if necessary, said what then came true. For example, there was such a case. Father Nikolai always remembered death, his preparation for it, often spoke on this topic and punished him in what to bury him. One day he promised one of his spiritual daughters that she would be at his funeral. Another, named Antonina, immediately declared: “And I will, father. I will definitely come.” And he so covertly says: “No, you will be at home.” And it turned out that this Antonina had died. And the one who was promised to attend the funeral, really was there. And my father told me that I would bury him. And so it happened.

Now I also feel his prayerful support. It happens that when I remember him, help comes to me. Father Nicholas also had the gift of healing. His prayer was very effective. One of his spiritual daughters became so seriously ill, the doctors recognized the cancer. She felt very weak, her face was pale and transparent. She worked at a hard job, where she had to deal with chemicals that were harmful to her health. Doctors recommended that she move to another job. But Father Nikolai did not bless. The patient obeyed. Many years have passed, but, through the prayers of the priest, she recovered and lives to this day. When I became very ill, Father Nikolay also very confidently assured me that the Lord would heal me. And indeed, I was healed.

Father Nikolai tried to instill in his children the memory of death. He said that if people knew what was in store for them, they would behave differently. Often, for admonition and clarity, he showed the guests the icon of the Last Judgment, explaining it and reminding them of retribution for sins. He taught very convincingly, with gospel words and examples. He indicated on the image where and for what sin a person will have to suffer. This sobered many and made them think and always remember the hour of death.

Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov) recalled:“There were two other people with me. The elder lightly hit one on the cheek, and then said: “Batiushka, bless.” - "Yes, I'm not a father!" - “Not father? Yes?" Years have passed. Now that man is hegumen. The girl who came with us took out music paper. She wondered why? She's also an artist. Doesn't sing. Note does not know. And now she is the regent in the monastery.

Archpriest Georgy Ushakov shared:“Often I saw that, even when the priest spoke to a person, his lips moved between phrases. I think he was a constant prayer book. From here came his foresight and openness to the heavenly world. During prayer, the Lord revealed to him the soul of a person and His will for him.

Archpriest Vladimir Stepanov said:“I lived then in Pskov and served as a deacon at the Trinity Cathedral. Next to the cathedral is the bell tower, where the nun Archelaia lived in the 1970s. I go to visit my mother one day. We are talking about Father Nicholas. She tells me that it was very difficult for her, and she prayed to the priest: “Father Nikolai! Help me! Father Nicholas! Help me…” And so several times. On the morning of the next day, the father arrives in Pskov, comes to mother Archelaia and from the threshold says to her: “Well, why are you asking me: father Nikolai, help me, father Nikolai, help me ...”

The Lord rewarded the priest with living faith and unceasing prayer. It was often noticeable that he was doing the Jesus Prayer. I experienced the power of his prayer first hand, and more than once. One example: I had a serious problem, and in winter I walked along the lake from the highway to the elder. He listened to me, then stood up and said: "Let's pray." Batiushka kneels on his tiny kitchenette, I follow him too. A few minutes of prayer. We get up off our knees. Father Nikolai blesses me, and I clearly feel in my soul that my problem is no more. Thank God!"

Priest Alexy Likhachev recalled:“Batiushka seemed a little naive to me: he kept persuading me to read morning and evening prayers every day. And I was such a diligent student that it seemed strange to me not only that the prayers could not be read - I read the Psalter rigorously. “Doesn’t he know that I do this without any persuasion?” But then at the academy I found myself in a circle of young people, connoisseurs and adherents of the Greek tradition, who, mocking our Russian piety, sneered: “Without proofreading this rule, you will not be saved in any way.” So the priest strengthened me in advance so as not to succumb. And one more thing: now, ten years later, I am so burdened with the construction of the temple, as well as family difficulties and domestic troubles, that sometimes I fall asleep without undressing. But the words of Father Nikolai sound today - like a reproach.

Batiushkin's language still had to be understood. He revealed to people such deep things, and even in a few words, that they had to be clothed in the form of images or symbols, which became clearer gradually, over time, filled with new spiritual meanings and twists of fate. A certain novice, who had come to the island with me, began to tell the priest about the disturbances in the monastery. He affectionately touched her neck: “Do you wear a cross?” She took out the cross from her chest. "Here you go." (She developed a mental disorder a year later.)

And the girl Valya, who asked him if she could go in for horseback riding and dancing, father Nikolai with affection and a smile says: “Let me add some colors to you,” and takes a gray strand from her hair and, as it were, shifts it to her. . She laughs, you know. But he hinted at grief to her gray hair.

Doctor Vladimir Alekseevich Nepomnyashchikh spoke about the elder:“Outwardly, he seemed detached from everything earthly. It was felt that there was a huge distance between us, sinners, and the elder. For many who came under the blessing, the priest no longer answered questions, but only silently anointed the forehead with oil on the cross. At the same time, people felt that the need for questioning disappeared. However, with those who really had a need, Father Nikolai talked, answered their questions and even invited people to his house. He did not answer all questions, but selectively... Undoubtedly, Elder Nicholas knew the will of God and revealed it to the extent that he considered it necessary.

Andrei Lukin recalled:“From my youth I became addicted to alcohol, and by the age of 26 I realized that I could not do without it for a long time. I started looking for a way out, tried to encode - it didn’t help, it only got worse ... I began to take vows. He promised before God, on the cross and the Gospel, in the presence of a priest, about abstinence from alcohol, first for six months, then for a year and a half. This went on for six years, but the trouble was that as soon as the end of the vow came, literally on the same day I began to drink again, as passion approached and it was impossible to fight it. And in 1999, in the month of August, I came to Zalit Island to my father Nikolai Guryanov. I approached him and said: “Father, bless me not to drink for three years and not to smoke for a year (to take vows).” Father Nikolai blessed me with a big cross and said: “You will neither drink nor smoke until the end of your life.” Seven years have passed since then, and during this time I didn’t even have a thought (thank God!) either to drink or smoke. And I've been smoking for over 20 years.

And two years before this wonderful event, my wife, along with her eldest daughter, went to Father Nikolai with the question of whether I should leave my secular work and work entirely in the church or not. Batiushka, not knowing my name, said to his wife: “I bow low to Andryushenka, and I ask for your prayers.” What humility the priest has - as he called me, an alcoholic ... And he answered his wife: “There is no need to leave worldly work, but let him work as a regent.” And so it happened: “I worked”, after six months, less, I had to leave the regents. The wife also asked about her daughter: should she continue to study, since her academic success was not very important, to which the elder said: “Study, study and study. Three and four are good marks too.” My daughter graduated from high school, a specialized secondary institution, and now she is studying at a higher school, in her fourth year. Upon admission for the main subject received five, for the other four. But at school I studied for triples!

Olga Kormukhina, a famous singer, shared:“I must say that at that time I had two serious problems: smoking (I could not quit smoking, although I really wanted to) and I also liked delicious alcoholic drinks. One might say, I “got high” on fine liqueurs, rums, wines and could not do anything with myself ... Here we are approaching the house, we see: people gathered around the old man in groups; we joined them. And he runs between people and asks: “Do you drink, smoke? Do you drink, do you smoke? Do you drink, smoke?” But he doesn't ask me. I think, “This is my problem. He doesn't ask me." I want to say, but I can't. I feel like the devil has shut my mouth. I just naturally feel it. The veins in my neck are swollen and I can't say a word. But I feel that if I don't say it now, I'm done for. Just the end. And that's it! I tensed up with all my strength and prayed: “Lord! Help me!" And then she screamed: “Father! I drink, I smoke! I hate myself for this!” And he seemed to be waiting for this, ran up to me, crossed his mouth and said: “That's it. You won't be again." And indeed, it was July 19, 1997, since then I have not taken any alcohol or cigarettes.

One professor of mathematics, a Russian, came with his English friend, also a professor of mathematics, who was completely unbelieving. And the Russian prayed very much that he would believe. And the Englishman had a thought: “If this elder shows me a miracle, then I will believe.” They arrived, the priest met them, led them into the cell and immediately, from the first words, said: “What a miracle for you, son, to show?” He went to the switch and began to click: “There is light, but there is no light. There is light, but there is no light. Ha-ha-ha." They laughed, and Father Nikolai sent them home: “Go, sons, with God, while quietly.” The Englishman also laughed: they say, what miracles can be? After all, he is a scientist. They came from the island back to the mainland, and there was a crowd of people, police, workers dragging some kind of wires. “What happened?” - "So for three days there has been no light on the islands." And our scientist immediately turned the boat back.

Anna Ivanovna Trusova recalled:“I came to the island with my nephew. He defended one man who was attacked by hooligans. As a result, an unjust accusation fell on him. The investigator gave him two articles. We went to Elder Nicholas to ask for his holy prayers. Batiushka did not ask why, for what, only I suddenly saw how his eyes had changed - I had never seen such eyes in anyone in my life. He had gone far, he was not present here among us. I really trembled from this father's look. I don't know how long he prayed like that. Five minutes or more, but only then did he take a deep breath and say: “They won't judge you. Justify." So in just a few minutes, the elder begged the man.”

Ludmila Ivanova, a church photographer, recalled one incident:“One day, Father Nikolai got ready to go somewhere late in the winter in a strong blizzard. “Father, in such a cold! .. Why?” mothers were scared. “My name is,” the elder said quietly. And, despite the persuasion of women, he went into the darkness of the night. The wind howled like a fierce beast, the blizzard did not subside. The father did not return for a long time. Run, search - where? It remained to pray, trusting in the will of God. The father did not return alone. He brought a frozen man. He got lost in a blizzard, began to lose strength and even think about death. Out of fear, he prayed to the saint of God, Nicholas the Wonderworker, although he considered himself an unbeliever. Father Nicholas heard.

Hegumen Roman (Zagrebnev) told how he and a friend came to the elder on the island. The friend, who had no experience of communicating with the elders, was at a loss and did not ask the priest about anything. And so, when they were about to leave, Father Nikolai himself stopped the young man: “Tell me, is this really the case? At home, I wrote and wrote a charter with questions, put it in my pocket and, without resolving a single issue, you leave! Is this the case? Now you will sit in the “Rocket” and swim, and the questions are in your pocket. Come on, get it now. Otherwise, you’ll swim to Pskov, accidentally put your hand in your pocket, and your heart will skip a beat. So that it is calm, and there is a need to resolve issues. Understood?!" “My fellow traveler fell at the feet of the priest, tears ran from his eyes, asking for forgiveness and patience in resolving the written questions.”

Emilian Lashin recalled:“The man with whom I had to go to the island of Zalita was recently released from prison. He lost his mother early, and his stepmother mistreated him and his sister, and both of them began to steal, and this continued until he was imprisoned. He sat two or three times, and when he came out, he was already very ill with tuberculosis. He had no job, no money, no registration, no housing, and he could not get a job in the hospital. Then we decided to go to Father Nikolai. It was in September, at the end of the month - a difficult time for consumptives.

I remember that on that day the priest had a lot of the most diverse people ... And my “ward” stood outside the gate by a large stone and did not dare (or was no longer able) to enter. Batiushka barely glanced at him and immediately called out his name, himself went out the gate and talked for a long, long time about something with this man. And then he blessed him three times and said loudly: "Everything will be fine." Needless to say, immediately upon our return, this man was taken to the best clinic, as if suddenly forgetting all the obstacles and arguments that these same people found just a few days ago. In this clinic, he lay for more than six months, completely cured of a terrible disease. During this time, they also issued a residence permit, and somehow miraculously constantly found funds for medicines that cost a lot of money.

Alexey Belov, a famous musician, told: “We have witnessed such a case. One day a terrible storm arose on the island and suddenly calmed down instantly. And when we approached the father’s cell, his cell attendant said that there was a tornado, the father came out, crossed himself, and everything fell apart. And then it turned out that he saved the boy from death. This boy went out fishing on a big boat, and during a tornado he could have died, crashed on this boat.

Batiushka generally saved people from death more than once. It was the same with our daughter. In infancy, she was very difficult to endure high temperatures, she began to have convulsions. And then one day the convulsions were so strong that her tongue sunk down and asphyxia began, she had already begun to turn blue. Then I shouted to myself: “Father Nikolai, help me!” And the tongue returned to its place, she breathed evenly.

The monks we met on Mount Athos had photographs of the elder. Everyone respected him greatly. When we were at the evening service in Hilandar, in a Serbian monastery, the confessor took confession from me. I decided to give him a photo of Father Nikolai, as I took a whole pack with me to give to people. He took the photo, looked at it and said: “Father Nikolai!” Then I learned that the confessors of some Athos monasteries, including Father Tikhon from Hilandar, came to the island to Father Nicholas. For me it was amazing. After all, the Holy Mountain has been the center of concentration of monastic experience for more than a thousand years. We can say that this is an “institute of elders”, many elders have grown up here, including modern ones. And from Athos, the monks went to some distant island in Russia to see the saint.

Hieromonk (now abbot) Nestor (Kumysh), the spiritual child of the elder, shared:“My deaconship was also predicted by him. Before entering the seminary, I, as usual, came to the island, because then I already traveled regularly, I could not do without it. I talked with the elder, decided everything that was needed. In parting, he says to me: “Soon you will be a deacon.” "When?" I ask. “Next summer,” the elder replied. With that, he left. But in my soul there is bewilderment: what kind of deaconry, when I have not even entered the seminary yet? Joking, maybe, father? In fact, everything came out according to his word. As a graduate of the university, I was enrolled in the seminary immediately in the second grade ...

At the end of the second grade, I was offered to go to the fourth, bypassing the third. Without giving any answer, I left the city to live with relatives until September of the next academic year. And in early July, they unexpectedly called from the diocesan administration with a demand to immediately appear in the city to pass protege exams and undergo confession before ordination.

For the successful progress of the restoration work on the temple where I served, the philanthropist who restored it presented me with a car. “Sell it immediately,” the elder demanded categorically from me when I told him about it. But I did not listen and decided to do it after the restoration work was completed ... At full speed, my engine jammed, and the car became uncontrollable. After two or three terrible minutes, I was in a ditch with all four wheels up. By the grace of God, everything turned out well, and I got off with a fright. But since then, he did not dare to violate or somehow alter the word spoken by the elder.

I had one sin that caused me a lot of grief and worries. Periodically I suffered from recurrences of gloomy irritability and temper. It is difficult for a Christian to live with this, since nothing so much poisons the existence of others and nothing so humiliates human dignity as the loss of self-control. But the fight against this common ailment is not easy. And then one day, upon arrival on the island, I turned to the old man with a rather stupid question, not without hidden vanity. I asked Father Nikolai what I could do in a special way for the greater pleasing of God. Without looking at me, the elder replied: “Don’t make a fuss.” Oh, how it hurts me from this word! I jumped away from the priest, as if I had been doused with boiling water. His words hit the nail on the head and deeply wounded my vanity. But what to do? For our cure, sometimes we need not sweet pills, but bitter medicines, and Father Nikolai resolutely used them where it was required. Subsequently - as I believe, not without the prayer of the priest - I discovered the main cause of the illness that tormented me and freed myself from it.

Archpriest Valerian Krechetov shared:“Batiushka kept repeating: “Everything is fine, yes, everything is fine. How happy we are that we are in the Church, that we take communion…” The elder was asked about Russia, and he answered: “Russia did not die. Oh, how good we are. Glory to Thee, Lord. The Lord does not leave us.”

Priest Alexy Likhachev recalled about the last days of the elder’s life and about the last meeting with him: “And here I am at the dearest person. Again, as in the first meeting, I sit at my feet. Only the father ... was already different. He dwindled, as the Lord once did. He was just like a baby. He kissed my hand: you, they say, are a priest, and I am already nobody. When I gave him modest shrines as a gift, the priest childishly asked: “What is this? Cross?" And wept tenderly. I brought him a piece of cotton wool dipped in myrrh from the icon of the Tsar Martyr. He asked three times what kind of cotton wool it was. I asked him to put a cross on the book with his poems. "Here? Here?" he asked until I pointed. In obedience to me, the father tried for about five minutes to draw this cross with his weak hand, his hand was trembling ... I also began to cry. All the spiritual things that I knew and expected were gone. Was not FOREVER. It was clearly felt that the human in the priest was already leaving. Outwardly, the unnatural pallor of the face spoke of this: not a drop of blood! His flesh was held only by the Spirit - for us, according to his love and the grace of God. And only the elder answered all the questions. He answered, closing his eyes and praying, and only in those seconds did I recognize “my father.” Even his tone became firm and authoritative.

Archpriest Boris Nikolaev recalled : “When the priest was lying in the coffin, his right hand was so warm and alive that the thought crept into my head whether we were burying a living one. The fact is that Father Nikolai was close to the mountain world. The righteous at special moments, especially after Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, cease to feel the difference between the heavenly world and the visible world, and can temporarily pass into another world. Father Valerian often in recent years took the priest to communion and several times noticed that the elder seemed to be dying. Breathing stopped, but the pulse continued to beat. After some time, Father Nikolai came out of his cell to the worried Father Valerian, the cell attendants and asked with a smile: “Well, what are you doing here?”.

Priest (now archpriest) Alexy Nikolin recalled about the elder’s funeral: “There were 40 serving priests, two bishops: Archbishop of Pskov and Velikoluksky Eusebius and Nikon, Bishop of Yekaterinburg at rest ... First, the priesthood said goodbye, then the laity went. The monks of the Pskov-Caves Monastery arrived, Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov) ... arrived with his choir. The choir of the Sretensky Monastery sang the funeral… When the funeral was over, they lifted the coffin, carried it around the temple with the canon “Sea Wave” and carried it to the cemetery.”

Archimandrite John (Krestyankin) comforted the mourners: “Do not cry! Now Father Nikolai is praying for us at the Heavenly Throne.”