Kineshma Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church: Saint Basil of Kineshma. Vasily Kineshemsky, St.

Year. In the year he graduated from the Kostroma Theological Seminary as the first student and entered the Kyiv Theological Academy, which he graduated in the year with the degree of candidate of theology and the right to receive the degree of master of theology without a new oral test for revision, according to the instructions of the reviewers.

Knowing both ancient and new European languages perfectly, he went to England for a more in-depth study of European culture and lived for years in London. Upon returning to Russia, in 1911-1914 he taught foreign languages and general history at the Mirgorod men's gymnasium.

Refusing any property, he settled on the outskirts of the city in a small bathhouse that stood in the garden of the widow-soldier Anna Alexandrovna Rodina. The saint did not have any property or furnishings; he slept on the bare floor, putting a log under his head. He hid his feat from strangers, receiving visitors in the office, set up in a house next to the Church of the Ascension. There was a bathhouse far from the temple. Every morning, before dawn, Vladyka walked through the entire city to the temple and returned home late at night. More than once robbers stopped him on the street, and with meekness and love he gave them everything he had; they soon began to recognize him and did not bother him.

In addition to daily church services, during which he always preached, the saint confessed, went around the houses of everyone who needed his help with words of consolation, visited monasteries and circles founded by him, scattered throughout the diocese.

In days big holidays The saint served in the cathedral, and every Thursday there were all-night vigils in the Church of the Ascension. The people loved these all-night vigils, dedicated to the remembrance of the passion of the Lord, and gathered at them in large numbers. There were especially many workers, some of them lived in the outskirts of the city, they defended long service and only got home late at night, and in the morning went to work again, but the grace was so great church prayer that people did not feel tired. The saint himself read the akathist to the passion of the Lord, and there was such silence in the temple, as if there was not a single person in it, and at the very far end of it every word could be heard.

Bishop Vasily's sermons attracted everyone to the church more people. Some completely changed their lifestyle; others, following the example of the saint, distributed property to the poor, devoting their lives to serving the Lord and their neighbors. The light of faith also reached non-believers. No matter how another person feels about the Christian faith and Orthodox Church, almost everyone felt that the word spoken by the bishop answered the inner needs of the soul, returned life to it, and life - an illuminating meaning.

The bishop's missionary activity caused great concern among the authorities. But there was no reason to arrest the saint. And then the authorities began to send people to the temple, instructing them to ask tempting questions during the bishop’s sermon in order to confuse him. The Bishop foresaw that there were such people in the temple, and gave answers to many of their questions in advance. Convicted by their conscience, realizing how unprofitable their situation was, they left the temple without asking anything.

As a true shepherd, the saint protected his flock from all kinds of evil and error. If he found out that one of his spiritual children was thinking wrongly, he hurried to visit this person.

Having moved to the village of Kotovo, Vladyka agreed with the local priest Konstantin Sokolov to serve together all-night vigil and liturgy on weekdays in the presence of only his closest people; Later, in the garden of the owner of the house, in the bathhouse, a small temple was built.

Troparion, tone 5

New confessor to the Church of Russia,/ imitator of the apostolic works,/ warm preacher of the right faith,/ inspired expounder of the Scriptures,/ endured exile, prison and tribulation from the godless v,/ the royal consecration, our Father Vasily,/ and now I stand before the Holy Trinity,/ praying for the fatherland yours and the people // who worthily honor your holy memory.

Troparion, tone 4

Today the weakened knees are strengthened, / the weak arms are stretched out in prayer, / the combs are watered with tenderness, / the rumors of psalms and songs are heard, / for Christ comes to us in glory with faithful witness,/ Basil the Royal and All-Blessed,/ conqueror of lies and malice,/ Chrysostom is an imitator and a zealot of faith,/ at the same time, the image gives salvation to the faithful,// and prays for those who honor his memory with faith and love.

Kontakion, tone 3

We praise your courage, Saint Basil of Christ,/ and extol the purity of faith,/ and we are amazed at the gift of your words,/ for you have received from heaven the Divine grace// to instruct and protect the hundred before Christ.

Essays

From the spiritual heritage of Bishop Vasily, sermons have been preserved, in the greatest completeness - “Conversations on the Gospel of Mark”.

Publications:

“Slavic-Russian Skete Patericon. Experience in historical and bibliographic research" (K., 1909, master's thesis).
Boy Scouts. Practical education in England according to the system of R. Baden-Powell. M., 1915. 232 p.
Boy Scouts. Guide to self-education of youth according to the scouting system by Sir Robert Baden-Powell in relation to the conditions of Russian life and nature / revised by V. A. Popov, V. S. Preobrazhensky. M., 1917. 383 p.
Conversations on the Gospel of Mark. M., 1996, 2004. 623 p.
Seed of love. M., 2012
Spiritual alphabet. M., 2012.

Literature

Saint Basil, Bishop of Kineshma (Preobrazhensky), Talks on the Gospel of Mark, Moscow: “Father's House”, 1996, 3-21.

Used materials

Biographical dictionary of graduates of the Kyiv Theological Academy: 1819-1920s. Materials from the collection of prof. Archpriest F.I. Titov and the KDA archive in four volumes. Volume II. K-P. // Publishing department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Kyiv 2015, p. 590-591.
Lives based on the book of Damascene (Orlovsky), abbot, "Martyrs, confessors and ascetics of piety of the Russian Orthodox Church of the 20th century", Tver, Bulat Publishing House, 1992-2001:

Bishop Vasily of Kineshma. Talks on the Gospel of Mark

Chapter I, Art. 1-13.

Gospel is a Greek word. Translated into Russian it means “good news”.

Good news! How to evaluate this?

Somewhere far, far away in a cold, inhospitable foreign land, perhaps in harsh enemy captivity, a person dear to you is languishing. You don't know anything about him. Disappeared - as if he sank into the water. Where is he? What about him? Is he alive? Are you healthy? Perhaps he is impoverished, needs everything... And all around are cold, indifferent strangers... Nothing is known. The heart languishes, yearns. Just one word: alive or not? Nobody knows, no one will tell. Oh, what melancholy! Lord, send word!

And then one fine day there is a knock on the door. Who's there? The postman brought a letter! From whom? Good God... Really? Yes, yes... On the back of the letter there is a familiar, cute handwriting: irregular large letters, his handwriting. News from him. What is he writing? You hastily tear open the envelope and read with bated breath. God bless! Everything is fine: he is alive, healthy, provided for everything, and is going to come! homeland... The heart is filled with grateful joy. God! How merciful You are! You did not forget, You did not abandon, You did not reject the wretched prayer! How can I thank You, Creator?

This is the impression of the good news. But in personal life it looks comparatively weak.

Why is the Gospel called the Gospel? Why is this good news?

This is news from the other world to the sinful earth. A message from God to a suffering man languishing in sin; news of the possibility of rebirth to a new one, pure life; news of bright happiness and joy of the future; the news that everything has already been done for this, that the Lord gave His Son for us. The man had been waiting so long, so passionately, so sadly for this news.

Listen, I’ll tell you a little about how people lived before the coming of the Savior, how they languished and tensely waited for news that would show them a new, bright path and a way out of the dirty swamp of vice and passion in which they floundered, and you will understand, why they greeted this news with such enthusiastic joy, why they called it good, and why there was and could not be another, more joyful, more good news for man than the Gospel.

The whole world, before the time when the Savior was supposed to come, was groaning in the iron grip of the Roman state. All the lands located around the Mediterranean Sea and making up the then European civilized world were conquered by the Roman legions. (Talking about the life of mankind at that time means talking almost about Rome alone.) This was the heyday of Roman power, the era of Augustus. Rome grew and became richer. All countries sent their gifts here either as tribute or as trade goods. Countless treasures were collected here. No wonder Augustus liked to say that he turned Rome from stone to marble. Getting incredibly rich upper classes- patricians and horsemen. True, the people did not benefit from this, and under the golden tinsel of the external splendor of the empire, there was a lot of grief, poverty and suffering. But, oddly enough, the upper rich classes did not feel happy either. Wealth did not save them from despondency, melancholy and sometimes from melancholy and despair. On the contrary, it contributed to this, giving rise to satiety with life. Let's see how the rich people of that time lived.

Luxurious white marble villa... Graceful porticoes, between slender columns there are statues of emperors and gods made of snow-white Carrara marble, cut by the best craftsmen. Luxurious mosaic floors, on which intricate designs are laid out from expensive colored stones. Almost in the middle of the large central room used for receptions (the so-called atrium), there is a square pool filled crystal water where goldfish splash. Its purpose is to spread pleasant coolness when the air is hot in the heat of a southern day. On the walls there is gilding, fresco painting, intricately intertwined ornaments in rich tones. In the family rooms there is valuable furniture, gilded bronze, all the decoration bears the stamp of wealth and elegant taste. In the outbuildings there are a mass of trained slaves, always ready for the services of the owner. One can feel from everything that bliss, laziness and pleasure have built a strong nest for themselves here.

Amphitryon (master of the house), a Roman horseman with a fat double chin, an aquiline nose, clean-shaven, prepares for the evening feast. There are feasts in this house almost every day. The enormous fortune acquired through tax farming allows one to spend colossal sums on this. He is now busy in his home library: he needs to choose a poem to entertain the guests. Slowly and lazily, with his plump hands, decorated with heavy gold rings with semi-precious stones, he sorts through the cases where precious scrolls of violet and purple parchment are stored, on which the latest novelties of Roman poetry are rewritten in gold letters. His lips are compressed in disgust: he doesn’t like all this. Everything is so flat, uninteresting, so boring!

In the next large room, a whole crowd of slaves of different skin tones is scurrying and running: white, blue-eyed Suevi, yellow, swarthy Phrygians and Persians, black araps and blacks. Prepare tables and beds for guests. There will be few of them, only selected friends, about thirty. But even more so, you need to prepare everything for them and treat them as best as possible...

The feast is in full swing. At long tables on boxes covered with fine linen and damask carpets, guests recline in light tunics, with pink and orange wreaths on their heads. The tables are laden with dishes and vials of precious wine. The thirty-fifth course has already passed. The fat carcass of a roasted boar has just been removed, and little slaves, charming boys with curled curls, in transparent pink and blue tunics, are carrying painted jugs of rose water to wash the hands of the guests. There is mixed talk in the hall. The guests are already quite tipsy: their eyes are shining, their faces are flushed, and the tall blackamoors are still bringing in huge amphorae of expensive Phrygian and Falernian wines, offering those who wish to fill the empty cups.

Despite the sultry evening, the room is cool: fountains gush in the corners and streams of fragrant water gurgle, filling the air with fragrance. From somewhere above, like large flakes of snow, rose and jasmine petals slowly fall, covering everything in the room with a fragrant carpet. From somewhere in the distance the quiet sounds of sad music are heard: the pipe moans, the harp crumbles in murmuring cadences, and the lute coos languidly.

And the guests are served the thirty-sixth change: fried nightingale tongues with spicy oriental sauce - a dish that cost incredible money.

It was some kind of cult of the belly and gluttony. They ate with attentive solemnity, according to all the rules of gastronomy, as if performing a sacred rite; ate slowly, endlessly, to prolong the pleasure of satiety. And when the stomach was full and could not hold anything else, they took an emetic to empty it and start again.

Date of Birth: July 16, 1971 A country: Russia Biography:

Born on July 16, 1971 in Novosibirsk. Then he lived in the Borovsky district of the Kaluga region, where he graduated from high school.

He worked in Moscow in the Radonezh society. He was an altar boy in churches.

April 9, 1993 in the Church of the Resurrection of the Word. Tolpygino, Privolzhsky district, Ivanovo region. tonsured a monk.

June 27, 1993 by Archbishop Ambrose in Preobrazhenskoye cathedral Ivanovo was ordained to the rank of priest.

On July 14, 1993, he was appointed second priest in the Holy Dormition parish in the village. Lukh, Lukhsky district, Ivanovo region. On January 11, 1994, he was appointed to the position of rector of the Sorrow Church in the village. Sokolskoye, Ivanovo region. Since 1994 - dean of the Sokolsky district, which then became part of the Nizhny Novgorod region.

On September 13, 1994, he was appointed rector of the parish of the Nativity of Christ. Sosnovets, Rodnikovsky district, Ivanovo region. On January 26, 1996, he was appointed the third priest in the Assumption-Kazan Church in the village. Kuznetsovo, Shuisky district, Ivanovo region. In 1998, the Assumption parish was reorganized into a monastic community.

For Easter 1998 he was awarded the pectoral cross. By Easter 2003 he was elevated to the rank of abbot.

January 11, 2006 appointed rector of the Assumption-Kazan monastery With. Kuznetsovo, Shuisky district, Ivanovo region. On December 1, 2007, he was appointed rector of the parish of the Assumption Zolotnikovskaya Hermitage. Zolotnikovskaya hermitage, Teikovsky district, Ivanovo region.

By Easter 2009 he was awarded the club.

In 2009 he graduated from the Ivanovo-Voznesensk Theological Seminary in the sector distance learning. Since 2009 he has taught “ Practical guide for shepherds" at the Ivanovo-Voznesensk Theological Seminary.

In 2011, he graduated from the correspondence education sector.

In April 2012, he was appointed deputy chairman of the disciplinary commission of the Ivanovo-Voznesensk diocese.

Consecrated as bishop on June 15, 2012 in the Throne Hall of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. July 8 at the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. The services were led by His Holiness Patriarch Moscow and All Rus' Kirill.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of October 4, 2012 () he was confirmed as rector (hieroarchimandrite) of the Nikolo-Tikhonov monastery in the village. Timiryazevo, Ivanovo region.

Education:

2009 - Ivanovo-Voznesensk Theological Seminary (in absentia).

2011 - Kiev Theological Academy (in absentia).

Diocese: Kineshma Diocese (Ruling Bishop) Scientific works, publications: Archimandrite Hilarion (Kaigorodtsev) upon his naming as Bishop of Kineshma and Palekh.

Saint Basil of Kineshemsky

Talks on the Gospel of Mark

Saint Vasily (Veniamin Sergeevich Preobrazhensky) was born in 1876 in the city of Kineshma, Kostroma province, into the family of a priest.

Knowing both ancient and new European languages perfectly, Benjamin went to England for a more in-depth study of European culture and lived in London in 1910–1911. After returning to Russia, he became a teacher foreign languages and general history to the Mirgorod men's gymnasium. In 1914, Veniamin moved to Moscow and got a job as a teacher. Latin language at the Petrovskaya Gymnasium. Teaching fascinated him so much that he graduated from a pedagogical institute, finally preparing for the profession of a teacher. But the Lord decreed otherwise.

One day, when he came to visit his parents in Kineshma, Veniamin persuaded his friends to go boating on the Volga. Already far from the shore, the boat suddenly capsized. Benjamin prayed, asking the Lord to save his life, promising to devote himself to serving the Orthodox Church. At that moment he saw a thick long board and, grabbing onto it, swam out.

In 1920, at the age of 45, Benjamin was ordained a priest, and a year later he took monastic vows with the name Vasily and was installed as Bishop of Kineshma.

During the life of Saint Basil, many knew him as a true ascetic, a saint of God. He led a simple and modest life, and treated worship with the greatest reverence. The saint's sermons attracted many people. He set Orthodox education as his main archpastoral task.

When famine broke out in the Lower Volga region and orphans began to be taken from there to orphanages, in his sermons he called on parishioners to take these children into their homes, and he himself, setting an example, rented a house in which he settled five girls and assigned them a teacher - a pious Christian . Through his prayers, miracles of healing from both mental and physical ailments were performed.

In 1923, Saint Basil was arrested and exiled to the Zyryansky region, where he remained until 1925. Upon the Bishop’s return from exile, the church in Kineshma began to quickly grow and strengthen. The civil authorities, concerned, demanded that the bishop leave the city.

After two years of wandering, in 1928, he was arrested again, spent six months in prison and was sentenced to three years of exile. Returning from exile, the bishop spent two years in Orel, from where the authorities sent him to Kineshma. Immediately upon arrival, he and his cell attendant, who faithfully accompanied him in all these persecutions suffered by the godless authorities, were imprisoned. They wanted to sentence them to death, but they couldn’t find why. They were imprisoned in camps for five years: St. Basil in a camp located not far from Rybinsk, his cell attendant - near Murmansk.

At the end of his term, the already aging bishop remained free for only two years. Arrest again: first Yaroslavl prison, then Butyrskaya in Moscow. After 8 months of imprisonment - 5 years of exile in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, in the village of Birilyussy.

On July 31, 1945, the saint died. During his lifetime, he bequeathed that his remains be transferred to his homeland, but in those years this was impossible. However, on October 5 (18), 1985, his holy relics were found and transported to Moscow. In August 2000, St. Vasily was canonized as a saint of the Russian Orthodox Church. “Conversations on the Gospel of Mark” by St. Basil, published for the first time in our time, entered the golden fund of Russian Christian literature.

Chapter 1, art. 1-13

Gospel is a Greek word. Translated into Russian it means “good news.”

Good news! How to evaluate this?

And then one fine day there is a knock on the door. Who's there? The postman brought a letter! From whom? Good God... Really? Yes, yes... On the back of the letter there is a familiar, cute handwriting: irregular large letters, his handwriting. News from him. What is he writing? You hastily tear open the envelope and read with bated breath. God bless! Everything is fine: he is alive, healthy, provided for everything, plans to come home... My heart is filled with grateful joy.

God! How merciful You are! You did not forget, You did not abandon, You did not reject the wretched prayer! How can I thank You, Creator?

This is the impression of the good news. But in personal life it looks relatively weak.

Why is the Gospel called the Gospel? Why is this good news?

This is news from the other world to the sinful earth. A message from God to a suffering man languishing in sin; the news of the possibility of rebirth to a new, pure life; news of bright happiness and joy of the future; the news that everything has already been done for this, that the Lord gave His Son for us. The man had been waiting so long, so passionately, so sadly for this news.

The whole world, before the time when the Savior was supposed to come, was groaning in the iron grip of the Roman state. All the lands located around the Mediterranean Sea and making up the then European civilized world were conquered by the Roman legions. (Talking about the life of mankind at that time means talking almost about Rome alone.) This was the heyday of Roman power, the era of Augustus. Rome grew and became richer. All countries sent their gifts here either as tribute or as trade goods. Countless treasures were collected here. No wonder Augustus liked to say that he turned Rome from stone to marble. The upper classes—patricians and horsemen—became incredibly rich. True, the people did not benefit from this, and under the golden tinsel of the external splendor of the empire, there was a lot of grief, poverty and suffering. But, oddly enough, the upper rich classes did not feel happy either. Wealth did not save them from despondency, melancholy and sometimes from melancholy and despair. On the contrary, it contributed to this, giving rise to satiety with life. Let's see how the rich people of that time lived.

Luxurious white marble villa... Graceful porticoes, between slender columns there are statues of emperors and gods made of snow-white Carrara marble, cut by the best craftsmen. Luxurious mosaic floors, on which intricate designs are laid out from expensive colored stones. Almost in the middle of the large central room used for receptions (the so-called atrium), there is a square pool filled with crystal water, where goldfish splash. Its purpose is to spread pleasant coolness when the air is hot in the heat of a southern day. On the walls there is gilding, fresco paintings, intricately intertwined patterns in rich tones. In the family rooms there is valuable furniture, gilded bronze, all the decoration bears the stamp of wealth and elegant taste. In the outbuildings there are a lot of trained slaves, always ready to serve the master. One can feel from everything that bliss, laziness and pleasure have built a strong nest for themselves here.

Saint Basil,
Bishop of Kineshma

Finding of relics October 5(18), 1985
Service to Saint Basil of Kineshma
"Conversations on the Gospel of Mark" by St. Basil
Excerpts from "Conversations on the Gospel of Mark"
Saint Vasily (Veniamin Sergeevich Preobrazhensky) was born in the city of Kineshma, Kostroma province, into the family of a priest. He received an excellent secular education, studied in Moscow and England, knew several languages perfectly, had an extraordinary literary gift... But he left everything, made a vow to the Lord and zealously served Him and his neighbors.

In 1920, at the age of 45, Benjamin was ordained a priest, and a year later he took monastic vows with the name Vasily and was installed as Bishop of Kineshma.

When famine broke out in the Lower Volga region, and orphans began to be taken from there to orphanages, in his sermons he called on parishioners to take these children into their homes, and he himself, setting an example, rented a house in which he settled five girls and assigned them a teacher - a pious Christian. Through his prayers, miracles of healing from both mental and physical ailments were performed.

Prison photographs of St. Vasily
After two years of wandering, in 1928, he was arrested again, spent six months in prison and was sentenced to three years of exile. Returning from exile, the bishop spent two years in Orel, from where the authorities sent him to Kineshma. Immediately upon arrival, he and his cell attendant, who faithfully accompanied him in all these persecutions suffered by the godless authorities, were imprisoned. They wanted to sentence them to death, but they couldn’t find why. They were imprisoned in camps for five years: St. Basil in a camp located not far from Rybinsk, his cell attendant - near Murmansk.

At the end of his term, the already aging bishop remained free for only two years. Arrest again, first in Yaroslavl prison, then Butyrskaya in Moscow. After 8 months of imprisonment - 5 years of exile in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, in the village of Birilyussy.

On July 31, 1945, the saint died. During his lifetime, he bequeathed that his remains be transferred to his homeland, but in those years this was impossible. However, on October 5 (18), 1985, his holy relics were found and transported to Moscow. In August 2000, St. Vasily was canonized as a saint of the Russian Orthodox Church. "Conversations on the Gospel of Mark" by St. Vasily, first published in our time, entered the golden fund of Russian Christian literature.
Troparion to the Saint, tone 5

New confessor to the Russian Church,
imitator of apostolic works,
of the right faith, warm preacher,
scriptures inspired expounder,
having endured exile, prison and sorrow from the godless,
royal consecration, Our Father Vasily,
and now coming Holy Trinity,
pray for your patronymic and people,
honoring your holy memory with dignity.

Kontakion, tone 3

We praise your courage, Saint Basil of Christ,
and we extol the purity of faith,
and we are amazed at the gift of your words,
for you have received Divine grace from heaven
to instruct and protect the flock of Christ.