Active monasteries in Russia. Confessor of the monastery. Spiritual guides. Monastery is for life
The village of Verkola in the Pinezhsky district of the Arkhangelsk region is one of those places that are commonly called "bear's corner". Taiga, swamps and more than fifty kilometers to the nearest railway station. Across the river, on the opposite bank of the Pinega, stands the Artemiyevo-Verkolsky Monastery, founded by order of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in 1648 at the site where the relics of St. Artemy were found. In summer, it can only be reached by boat. There are no excursions, tourists and crowds of pilgrims.
There are only forty inhabitants in the monastery - laborers and monks. Everyone has their own story. Everyone has their own way to God. Someone came “by faith”, realizing this step as a personal choice, someone was brought by “sorrows” - imprisonment, addictions, loss of loved ones, housing, work and the inability to find oneself in secular life. The monastery welcomes everyone. Someone comes for a few months, someone stays forever and takes monastic vows. I present to your attention a photo essay by Alexei Sivkov about people whose life path is not easy, about those who know firsthand what need, gratitude and Faith are.
The interior of the monastery. Mikhail Trudnik
“Here, in the monastery,” Mikhail says, “like in the army or in the zone. As you are to people, so are people to you.
My cellmate, Victor, is twenty-one years old. He comes from Kholmogory - a local. He graduated from school, studied as a carpenter, worked at a sawmill. At first I went several times to the Siya Monastery, then came here. He became a worker out of despair and emptiness. The first two weeks I attended all the services. Then it became more difficult to combine this with daily obedience. Victor is interested in politics and believes in a "world conspiracy". “Without an idea,” he says, “life is empty. And here the soul calms down, and there is less temptation.
Life in the monastery is unpretentious. Bath day - it's the day of washing. Don't heat the water twice.
Evening tea in the cell
Before going to bed, I went to see Father Seraphim (on the left). He has guests - workers Alexander and Sergey.
Monk father Innokenty blesses the groom Cyril during the daily religious procession around the monastery.
A warehouse is now located on the first floor of the cathedral. There are still to come restoration work. The second floor has already been renovated and is used for festive services. The temple was built in the 19th century. John of Kronstadt, who was born nearby, in Sura, took part in its construction. In Soviet times, the cathedral was looted. On the unique frescoes and to this day there are "autographs".
We go to the forest to harvest firewood. The Irtysh horse stopped in the middle of a puddle. Worker Kirill affectionately calls him a stubborn brute and says that until he gets drunk, he will not leave his place.
Monk father Peter
“In the world he was a musician, a drummer,” says Peter. - During the third term, I met a priest who came to our zone. I began to read, to think…” He has been in the monastery for eight years. Three years ago I took the monastic vows. Now he is a ringer and attendant. Such obedience.
They brought firewood. The monastery needs large supplies. The end of September, and in October the first snow will fall on Pinega. Winters here are long and cold.
It cleared up. This rarely happens in autumn. We must use this opportunity to finish the work in the open air.
Artem from Vladimir. Just got back from the apiary. Afternoon obedience: preparing firewood for the refectory.
The carrots harvested a few days ago are drying out in one of the premises of the abbot's building. Until the mid-1990s, this building housed Verkolskaya comprehensive school. Now pilgrims who come for big holidays settle here.
Pilgrims came to the monastery. case to winter is coming- It's time to help the brethren make vegetable preparations and compotes. The female presence brings a certain revival to the male team. Even the most severe ascetics begin to smile through their mustaches.
In the evening the brethren gather around the screen. An impromptu cinema hall unites people of different generations. Movies are shown on Mikhail's phone. The other day, Vasily and Victor watched Wyler's Roman Holidays, today the shepherd Nikolai looked at the evening film show. Misha downloaded Jurassic Park.
We went to the chapel of the holy youth Artemy of Verkolsky, which was erected at the supposed place where his relics were found. On the way back, they turned off the road. On the side of the road are three abandoned houses. Fresh footprints lead to the huts - the grass is flattened. Hunters may have come to rest or mushroom pickers. In the house they found the book "The Legend of the Naval Commander", written in the middle of the last century. Yellow from time and moisture pages, swollen cardboard cover.
The interior of one of the abandoned houses. It seems that the owners left it a few days ago.
Mikhail pulled on the unloading of products back. I decided to "hang" on the crossbar. It's almost a year since he's been in the monastery. His godfather brought him here - away from civilized life.
In the evenings, over a cup of tea, Vasily loves to talk about his worldly adventures. There have been many of them over the course of their lives. And don't call it boring.
Sunday service
On the Sunday service and the inhabitants of Verkola come for holidays from across the river. The temple is not crowded, you can concentrate on prayer. In order not to interfere, I shoot from behind the door.
Father Joseph, Abbot of the Artemiyevo-Verkolsky Monastery
Prayer for the dead.
Everyone loves cats
Confessor of the Artemiyevo-Verkolsky Monastery, Hieromonk Venedikt, is filming a permanent resident, the cat Monk, on his phone. Like all the brethren, Monk is always in black. His obedience is catching mice. Monk has a lot of work.
Dormition Cathedral of the Artemiyevo-Verkolsky Monastery
The church has a temporary roof. Recovery promises to be long.
Evening, cold
Michael from Murmansk. He recalls that the first week in the monastery was very difficult, mentally and physically difficult. I drank chaga - an infusion on a birch mushroom. “I have long wanted to go to the monastery, and now I understand that I came here just in time,” he says. - Otherwise I would have sat down. Again".
Russia is famous not only for the diversity of its natural areas, but also for the cultural, national and ethnic characteristics of their inhabitants. And one of the main unifying forces is the Orthodox faith. Indeed, from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok, people live according to the same commandments, and many of them even devote their entire lives to serving God.
Orthodox women's monastery on the ancient Fire Mountain near the Stone Stream, founded in 1371 by the monk Adrian, with the consent of Dmitry Donskoy.
The first stone buildings began to be erected here in 1534, and after the invasion of the Polish-Lithuanian troops, who killed all the monks in 1609, the Wonderful Assumption Church of unknown beauty was erected. Here, in 1698, disgraced archers who rebelled against Peter the Great were kept.
Also on the territory of the parish is the Alekseevskaya Church of the 16th century, completely rebuilt in the 19th, and Cathedral of John the Baptist, famous for its stunning tiles.
The history of its foundation began in 1358, in which Sergius of Radonezh labored with his brethren on the Kirzhach land. The monks built here a wooden church of the Annunciation of the Mother of God and several modest cells.
The successor of Radonezh was Roman Kirzhachsky, who increased the wealth of the temple and was subsequently canonized.
By the middle of the 16th century, about a hundred monks had labored here, and the possessions of the monastery went far beyond the borders of the Pereslavl district. In 1764, it was abolished by the decree of Catherine II, but already in 1823, its restoration was initiated by the Emperor of Russia Alexander I.
Today it is a functioning monastery, which houses many Orthodox relics, including the icons of the Annunciation, Spas and Nikola.
Theodorovsky Monastery was founded in memory and on the site of the battle of 1304 between the troops of Moscow Prince Yuri Danilovich and Prince of Tver Mikhail Yaroslavich. The victory of the Muscovites happened on June 8 on the day of Theodore Stratilates. In this battle, the boyar Akinf, the ancestor of the famous family of the Chelyadnin boyars, was killed.
By the birth of his son Theodore in 1557, the king Ivan the Terrible ordered to build stone church in the Feodorovsky Monastery in Pereslavl-Zalessky. This temple in honor of Theodore Stratilates became the main cathedral of the monastery and has been preserved to this day.
Until 1667 the monastery was for men. The names of 31 abbots and 27 abbesses of the monastery are known.
In 2004, on the day of the celebration of the 700th anniversary of the founding of the Feodorovsky convent, for the first time since the closing of the monastery in 1923, a Festive Divine Service was held. The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by the Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov Kirill, the Archbishop of Kursk and others in the presence of a huge number of Orthodox believers. A big procession was made through the streets of the city of Pereslavl.
In 2006, the nun Varvara (Chekotkova) became acting abbess of the monastery. With her appointment, great changes are noted in the monastery. Now 20 sisters live in the monastery.
In the Vvedensky Church, daily services are held, a new iconostasis was painted, restored Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, restored chapel with a well.
The sisters carry out obediences in the church, sing in the kliros, read the indestructible Psalter, bake prosphora, work on the improvement of the territory, sew, and do needlework. There is a subsidiary farm and gardens, where everything is done by the sisters.
An old Orthodox nunnery, the foundation of which dates back to the end of the distant 11th century.
In the place where the pagan temple of Veles was located before, Abraham of Rostov built a wooden church and founded a male parish, and only to late XVII centuries, all buildings were laid in stone and surrounded by a wall.
For a long time the holy rod of Abraham was kept here until he was taken on a campaignIvan the Terrible.
Once upon a time, in a miraculous vision, the saint appeared before Abraham Apostle John the Evangelist and gave him a rod topped with a cross, with which the monk crushed the idol. On the site of the idol temple, Saint Avramius founded a monastery in honor of Theophany and became its rector. In memory of the apparition, the monk erected a temple in the name of the Apostle John the Theologian.
During the period of Soviet power, the monastery was transferred to living quarters, and the stone fortress wall was simply dismantled. Since 2004, this monastery of Russia has been revived as a women's monastery.
AT late XVI century on central square the city of Arzamas, founded by Ivan the Terrible, they erected a temple named after Nicholas, the miracle worker of Merlika.
Very soon, under him, it was decided to form a women's community, for which hegumen Sergius even donated to this temple a large carved icon of the Saint, which was famous for its healing properties. The temple burned out twice, and only in 1738 was rebuilt in stone.
Before the advent of Soviet power, the monastery was famous for its needlewomen, orders for knitted shoes came from all over Russia. From 1928 to 1994, the cells from the temples stood in desolation, after which they returned to the Church and were restored.
This Orthodox monastery was originally founded as a male monastery, and acquired its female status only after the revival at the end of the 20th century.
Information about its existence was found in the sources of the 14th century, and since 1420 Macarius Kalyazinsky labored there, over whose cell he built with his own hands a brick chapel was built at the beginning of the 20th century.
Today, in this convent in Russia, such shrines as relics and a frame are kept.St. Anna of Kashin , copy iconAndrei Rublev Hodegetria , the relics of Macarius Kalyazinsky and more than 200 other saints, as well as ancient icons from different years.
The foundation of this convent in Russia is attributed Oleg Bryansky in 1275, especially since the relics of this God-fearing prince are still carefully kept in the temple.
Like many others, it was abolished by decree of Catherine the Great, but restored as a community at the request of patrons. With their own money, the cathedral and gate churches were built in the parish, an almshouse and a rather rich economy, with a garden and a barnyard, were organized. Chasing and icon-painting workshops, a needlework, a hospital and a church school also worked there.
AT Soviet years the buildings of the monastery were empty, and the parish was revived only in 2002.
In 2004, the temple was completed in the name of Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, built on the model of one of the Novgorod churches of the XII century and having a height of 28 meters.
Now nuns live in the monastery. The garden and livestock at the monastery provides them with almost everything they need. Twice a day, morning and evening, the nuns perform procession around the monastery church.
Where the inhabitants are, there is the monastery. No, not like that: there are monks outside the monastery as well. Where there is a temple and cells, there is a monastery. It’s not the same either: there are walls without monks. Where monks live in solitude, pray, work, serve God - that's where the monastery is. Probably so. On the shore of Dymskoye Lake, 13 people are ascetic. They pray, work, serve God - they return to the cathedral and other walls erected here their original meaning. That's where we went.
MONASTERY SKETCHES
The line between work and prayer in a monastery is very arbitrary. The work of the monks, each in his own place separately, is replaced by a joint prayer for worship. Individual labor is accompanied by personal prayer. Prayer is the first duty of a monk, and labor of obedience is the most important monastic virtue. “Praise the name of the Lord, praise, servant of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord, praise, slaves, the Lord, standing in the temple of the Lord, in the courtyards of the house of our God” ... While the kathismas are being read, Hierodeacon Alexander manages to knead the dough for bread, which will stand by dinner tomorrow on the tables in the monastery refectory, and return back to the temple, to the brethren.
From here to now, I cleared the site today, - Monk Alipiy, wiping drops of sweat from his wet forehead and adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose, points to a solid area of the yard next to a tall woodpile. - I wanted to have time to make room for equipment: we will be laying sewerage, even going there, where there is nothing at all yet, but only planned.
In addition to the inhabitants of the monastery, only three lay people pray during the All-Night Vigil. while avoiding the fate of some well-known and "promoted" monasteries, where the world, from which the monk flees, itself comes for the monk, constantly reminding of itself with an endless series of not only pilgrims, but also tourists. “What else do we need? the brothers ask rhetorically, nodding at the destroyed buildings around the main monastery church, the Kazan Cathedral. “We have everything for life!”
LONG ROAD TO THE DESERT
Anthony-Dymsky Monastery - one of the best monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church! I'm not telling you as a cleric of the monastery, but as a person who is writing a dissertation on the small monasteries of the Russian North - Priest Dimitry Ponomarev, staff priest of the Church of the Intercession Holy Mother of God on Borovaya, shares his views on modern Russian monasticism. - I have visited, probably, almost all the monasteries of the European part of Russia. And I can say with confidence - more suitable place a monk who wants to live a real spiritual life is not really found.
It is not difficult to get to the Anthony-Dymsky Monastery from St. Petersburg by car. With Father Demetrius, we loaded into an old minivan driven by a resident of the monastery, monk Paisios, and set off. “235 kilometers, 3 hours 56 minutes on the road,” the Internet search engine calculated the time it would take me to get to the village of Red Armored. This is the name of the settlement in which the monastery is “registered”. "So, - I think, - we will be there by one o'clock in the afternoon." In fact, ceteris paribus, you can manage for three hours, or even two and a half. But not in our case. Firstly, a monk is driving, the monks already live in Eternity with their thoughts, and therefore they have a special relationship with time: for example, while driving through Tikhvin, father Paisiy arranges for us a short sightseeing tour of the city, which he, even though a native of the Vologda region, knows how the back of his hand - after all, before the Antoniev-Dymsky monastery, he lived in the Tikhvin Assumption Monastery of the Mother of God. And secondly, on the way from the city to the monastery, Father Paisios manages to fulfill several obediences assigned to him by the abbot of the monastery: stop by the hypermarket and buy seedlings for the monastery flower bed, buy a fan, fill up the car - and this, of course, also takes time.
MEETING ON THE ROAD
A minivan slows down next to a heavy truck parked on the side of the road. Father Paisius comes out to meet the broad-shouldered driver of the truck, who is walking in front of the cab of the truck.
Father Paisios!
A man in a black cassock hugs a man in a striped T-shirt. A trucker has a bullet hanging on a string around his neck, which did not hit the warrior’s chest, as it got stuck in a bulletproof vest - during the Chechen war.
The trucker Zakhar has long known Father Paisius and the rest of the Dymsky inhabitants, but the monk refused to tell the story of their acquaintance: “This is a great secret,” Father Paisius answered evasively.
Zakhar is coming from Chelyabinsk. Just today, he was going to turn to the Anthony-Dymsky Monastery, but his friend's car broke down, and now Zakhar is forced to drag his oversized "American" in tow further to Cherepovets.
Come on, Zakhar, with God. I'll call!
Goodbye, Father Paisius! - the monk and the former warrior, and now the driver of the truck, warmly hugged goodbye.
We arrived at the monastery in the late afternoon.
THE MOST FUN WORKER
Anthony-Dymsky Monastery is hidden from a busy highway on the shore of Dymskoye Lake, among swamps and mixed forests. High humidity- and, as a result, the dominance of midges and mosquitoes. Hungry, greedy, they flock to a person in whole squadrons. I had to spend all this hot day in a jacket, but even it did not turn out to be an insurmountable obstacle for insects.
Yes, you arrived at the most fertile time for bloodsuckers, - worker Dimitry comes out to meet us, smiling broadly, - they are now expanse. But dragonflies will soon come, and mosquitoes will decrease: a dragonfly eats so many insects a day that their weight exceeds its own several times!
Demetrius says that he is a distant relative of Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky):
My great-grandfather, priest John the Trinity, was a holy martyr cousin. The priestly family of the Troitskys was very large - they served in the Tula province, in the Yaroslavl. And my great-grandfather, shortly before the revolution, was returning from the All-Night Vigil, it was dark, the lanterns were not lit, he stumbled on the cobblestones of the pavement, fell and broke his knee. As a result - tuberculosis of the bones. Great-grandfather met the revolution already sick, in bed. I have such an interesting family. Well, I ... - Dimitri maintains a short pause and gives out with a laugh, - but I smoke!
Demetrius is probably the most cheerful resident in the monastery. Looking at him, you won’t think that behind a person’s back is a difficult life ...
Priest Dimitry Ponomarev, candidate of theology, author of two monographs on the life of St. Anthony of Dymsky and the history of the monastery he founded, defended a dissertation on the history of the Anthony-Dymsky Monastery:
- In the current church calendar, the date of death of Anthony Dymsky is 1224. Whereas in all 35 lists of his life known to us (both in short and lengthy editions) it is indicated that he was born in 1206, founded the monastery in 1243, and died in 1273. The year 1224 appeared as an attempt to harmonize the dates of the life of St. Anthony with the dates of the life of his teacher Varlaam Khutynsky. In the lives it is said that the Monk Anthony was his peer. And when Anthony returns from his embassy to Byzantium, Varlaam Khutynsky, already on his deathbed, gives him the monastery as his peer. This word "peer" has misled many, because in understanding modern man a peer is equal in age. And therefore Archbishop Filaret (Gumilevsky) in 1860 in his book "Lives of the Saints for January" writes in a footnote that Varlaam Khutynsky was born in 1156. Anthony Dymsky is his peer and, according to his life, lived 67 years; add this to 1156 and we get just 1224. But the life also says that a charter for the land around Dymskoye Lake (in order for a monastery to appear, land and a document for it are needed) was given to the monk by the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky. This is repeated by all lists of the life of Anthony Dymsky. Alexander Nevsky was born in 1222. And if Anthony Dymsky died in 1224, how could Alexander Nevsky give him a charter? The prince was then two years old. I propose to return to what was previously recorded in all, without exception, handwritten lists of the life of St. Anthony of Dymsky - he was born in 1206 and died in 1273. But the problem is that in this case it will be necessary to revise the dates of the life of Varlaam Khutynsky, who, apparently, died not in 1193, but in 1243. By the way, church tradition says that he lived for 87 years, and the date of his death in 1243 looks more plausible.THE SPACE OF THE HOUSE
The main shrine of the monastery is the relics of St. Anthony Dymsky, the founder of the monastery. They rest in the Kazan Church, the only active monastery church today. From the fraternal building (before the revolution it was a hotel for pilgrims) to the high bell tower of the temple, which managed to survive the era of oblivion, there are steps that have also been preserved from those ancient times. This staircase ran under the main monastery gates, built in the style of Alexander classicism. Here was the main entrance to the monastery, surrounded on all sides by a wall, crowned with two-tiered towers at the four corners. Today there are no walls - only wooden fence repeats their contour, no towers. The Kazan temple also has not reached our days intact: the dilapidated bell tower is, in fact, all that remains of the historical cathedral church. To it, the monks of our time built a temple, on the bricks of which the names of hundreds and hundreds of donors, believers, who had the opportunity to make only this small contribution to the revival of the temple, are still visible inscribed with a marker.
A MONK WITH A TALKING SURNAME
AT early XXI century, the central entrance to the monastery is not at all where it was located before the revolution. The first building that the visitor sees is the gatekeeper's house. It was made by the monastery carpenter monk Pavel. The last name of Pavel's father is speaking - Plotnikov.
When I entered the monastery seven years ago, the then rector hegumen Ignatius (Buzin) (now Bishop of Armavir and Labinsk. - Ed.) asked me my name. “Ah, Plotnikov,” he rejoiced, “well, you will be our carpenter.” But in my family, indeed, there are many carpentry masters.
Much in the monastery is the work of Fr. Pavel: from the icon cases in the fraternal cells to the lectern and iconostasis in the church. And only in the cell of the master himself there is not a single piece of furniture that he would have made himself.
The shoemaker is always without boots, - the monk laughs, showing me his modest dwelling.
Bed, table, bedside table, a couple of stools. Near the wall - ironing board. The bed is fenced with a small screen, and from this, a kind of hallway is obtained at the door. On the bedside table is a photograph of a smiling woman with children. It turned out that this is the daughter and grandchildren of Father Pavel.
They are great for me! - looking at the picture lovingly, he says. - The daughter knows several languages, the granddaughter draws. They visit me sometimes. 
BORDER INSIDE AND OUTSIDE
There are 13 brethren in the monastery: three novices, one monk, five monks, two hierodeacons, and one hieromonk and abbot. This is a lot by today's standards, especially for small monasteries, such as Antonievo-Dymsky. The “secret of success” lies in the fact that they are trying to build a proper monastic community, putting the spiritual life of the brethren in the first place.
Do you know stories about how a once quiet secluded monastery with the arrival of large sponsors turned into a tourist center? - asks the abbot of the monastery Adrian (Dementiev). - We are afraid of it. Do not think that I do not want to rebuild the monastery from the ruins, we are doing this to the best of our ability, but first you need to create all the conditions for the brethren so that they can lead a solitary, separated from outside world life, learned and loved it by the time when the monastery complex will be restored and there will be many more pilgrims. Otherwise what is the point of being a monk? It turns out the same layman, only in different clothes.
It is very important to be able to draw the border between monks and the world not only on the territory of the monastery - for example, by completely limiting the access of pilgrims to the fraternal building and inner life monastery, leaving a church with shrines available to them, but also in the souls of the inhabitants themselves, which is much more difficult. Partly from these considerations, the Anthony-Dymsky Monastery developed its own internal charter - an experience that is unique for our days.
As a basis, we took the Charter of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and the “Regulations on monasteries and monastics”, adopted by the Russian Orthodox Church at the end of 2017, says Abbot Adrian. - We have prescribed many points that are not taken into account in the “Regulations”, because this is a general document drawn up for all monasteries in Russia, and which are not in the Lavra Charter, adopted back in 1959, but are in the life of the Dymskaya monastery. I'll give you an example. Today, almost everyone has in their pocket mobile phone- and there the Internet, instant messengers. It turns out that a person went to a monastery, but in fact he is always in touch with the world. And we wrote in our charter, which orients a person towards monastic life, that staying in a monastery does not imply the use of the Internet and mobile communications. This can be allowed, for example, for students in theological schools or for some other need, but with the blessing of the abbot, and will be organized, for example, in the library of the monastery. However, I am not a supporter of coercive measures: the monk himself must come to stop using the phone and computer. This choice is voluntary, but at the same time necessary - a monk will not break with the world if the world is in his pocket. A monk should reduce the time of communication with the world, and increase it with God. Let every newcomer to us get acquainted with the Charter, and if he is ready to live by such rules - welcome.
INTRODUCING ECONOMY
In appearance, the most severe inhabitant. And this is right, because the economy in the monastery is the same as the executive director at the enterprise. That is, direct control of the entire material life of the monastery is concentrated in his hands. He is the hegumen's assistant economic activity monastery. You have to control everything - from the process of harvesting firewood to laying water pipes. And Father Nikon is also the one who usually talks first with a person who wants to work in a monastery, become a novice.
The idea of monastic life is formed from books, pictures or films, says Father Nikon. - In fact, it is much heavier than these pastoral descriptions. We must immediately warn you about this: if you run to us from problems, then nothing will work out for you in the monastery. It's better not to even try - otherwise it will be worse. And who will be to blame? Lord?! Because the former unresolved issues here you will definitely be found, and it will be even more dense than in the world. Some of the inhabitants had to be sent back home - people could not cope, provoked conflicts with the brethren. The monastery is the ark of salvation, a small collective, therefore it also happens that there is no escape from some disagreements. It takes a lot of patience!
FATHER ANTONY
There are two priests in the Anthony-Dymsky Monastery - the abbot of the monastery Adrian (Dementiev) and the treasurer of the monastery.
Father Anthony is completely devoid of flair, surprisingly simple and direct in communication. However, this can be said about most of the local inhabitants, but Father Anthony stands out even against their background. His main obedience is work on the monastery farm. He spends most of his life in the company of cows, chickens, and geese, leaving the barn only to go to church for divine services, to his cell to sleep, and to the refectory for lunch and dinner. However, the latter is not always true - it happens that Father Anthony has lunch right there, at the workplace. Sometimes he even sleeps here - not among birds and animals, of course, but in a small enclosed closet with a refrigerator, a table and an old sideboard in which a wide variety of veterinary drugs are stored behind glass.
The monastic path of Father Anthony began with the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Hermitage in Strelna. He served as a clergyman there. Together with him and another monk, Father Anthony made his way from first to the courtyard of the Konevsky monastery in Priozersk, where he was tonsured into a mantle, and then to, to which Antoniev-Dymsky was then assigned as a skete.
When the Dymsky Monastery became independent, Father Ignatius was appointed abbot, he says. - Prior to this, Hieromonk Nikita ruled the skete, by the way, he then went into the world, he is married and has children. It also happens in monastic life, why hide it. My opinion is that the majority of the defrocked simply took the tonsure too early, they should have been novices longer, given more time to think.
By the way, Father Anthony's cows are surprisingly clean, washed, I have never seen such well-groomed cows in any farm.
Well, why should they be dirty? - the monk is surprised. - We do love them. 
TWO DIFFERENT WAYS
In the Anthony-Dymsky Monastery, the following tradition has been established: every day at dinner, Abbot Adrian pours soup into bowls for the brethren with his own hands. This is one of the forms of the hegumen's service to the inhabitants - following Christ's commandment "Let the greatest of you be your servant" (Matt. 23:11).
As an outside observer, I notice one big difference in the arrangement of life in this monastery from many other monasteries. This is simplicity in relationships, - says the priest of the monastery in St. Petersburg, - in no case is familiarity, but - simplicity, cordiality in relationships. I will even say that the smoke monk is immediately visible: everything is very natural.
Each of the monks has his own history of coming to the monastery. Hegumen Adrian, for example, says that his path to monasticism was rather smooth and calm. Coming from a simple working-class family, he studied in an ordinary high school, played the guitar in musical group. Then he began to read the Gospel at the dawn of the revival of the Church in the early 1990s, at the same time he began to go to church - the first revelation about the existence of other meanings was a visit with a school friend to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, where a friend venerated the icon, which surprised the future hegumen a lot. While still at school, Fr. Adrian began attending divine services, entered the Institute of Theology and Philosophy, from where he was drafted into the army, because the institute did not give a deferment. After the army - work as an apartment finisher. In 1998, hegumen Lukian (Kutsenko), now Archbishop of Annunciation and Tyndinsky, invited him to work for two months at the monastery of Alexander Svirsky ... Two months turned into twenty years.
Hieromonk Anthony, on the contrary, says that in his youth he lived a life as far from faith as possible. Some of his friends from that time are no longer alive - they died from drugs. By education, he is an electrical engineer, or, as he jokes, "an engineer minus an electrical engineer." He was baptized in 1994 “for security reasons”: so that “whatever misfortune should happen.” And only a year after this event, I decided to read the Bible - you need to know what is written there.
Understanding of what was written did not come, but something was deposited in the subconscious. And only then I heard radio "Radonezh" from a friend and decided to read something about Orthodoxy.
At first, Pavel (the name of Father Anthony in the world) wanted to buy the “Ladder” in the church shop, but there was none, and he purchased “Margaret the Spiritual”.
It was then that I realized: monasticism is mine.
FROM SPORTS TO MONKS
Father Alexander is probably the most modest resident of the monastery. He describes the history of his life in general terms, as if he does not want memories of the past to invade his current monastic life. He was born in Voronezh, studied in Moscow, then went in for sports professionally. One day, friends asked him to become a godfather to their child - and so, once in the temple, the future monk wanted to return under his vaults again.
The most important thing in the monastic life is, indeed, patience. He is needed here not in a cart, but in a whole convoy. But even more important is the desire to serve God and grow spiritually. Without this, even patience will not help, - says father Alexander.
Father Alexander is also a monastery cook. Every day, whether alone or with helpers, he manages to feed the brethren well and tasty. Not an easy task. He does great with her. And the salted monastic cucumbers, unchanged on the table, are completely incomparable. He also bakes prosphora and bread.
So my story is the most simple, - this wonderful monk modestly sums up the story, not really wanting to publicly replicate the details of his life and career.
Here we are not going to do that.
THE FIRST CHURCH OF ANTONY DYMSKY
Hegumen Adrian tells what restoration work he would like to carry out first of all:
First things first, you need to complete the cathedral church. Services are still going on only in the lower Kazan church. When we complete all the work on the second floor, the upper church will become Kazan, and the lower one will be the church of St. Anthony Dymsky.
By the way, in Russia there is not yet a single temple in honor of this saint. In order for the idea of the hegumen to come true, it is necessary to master a huge front of work - for example, move the temple shop to another place in order to make a staircase to the upper temple in its place, but first erect five domes, repair the bell tower and the roof. This has already been started. 
NOT FORMER, BUT CURRENT
And yet, a monastery is, first of all, not walls, and not even a temple, but people who give meaning to such buildings. What were these walls without monks just recently? A school of tractor drivers, a psychiatric hospital, a warehouse, a sanatorium. And the word "monastery" in relation to this place could be used only by adding "former" to it. Now they pray again within these walls. Here again is a monastery. Hegumen Adrian, fathers Anthony, Nikon and Alexander, other monks, monks and novices - these are the people who return the walls to their original meaning, transferring the monastery from the category of "former" to the category of "active".
Russia is often called the holy land. Judging by the number of saints for representatives different religions places, this is true.
1. Diveevo
Where is? Nizhny Novgorod region, Diveevsky district.
What is holiness? Diveevo is called the Fourth Destiny of the Mother of God on earth. The main shrine of the Diveevo monastery - relics Reverend Seraphim Sarovsky. The Holy Elder invisibly but clearly consoles, admonishes, heals, opening the hardened souls of people who come to him for Divine love, and leads to Orthodox faith, to the Church, which is the foundation and affirmation of the Russian land.
Pilgrims come for holy water from 4 springs, bow to the relics and walk along the holy groove, which, according to legend, the Antichrist cannot cross
2. Optina Desert
Where is? Kaluga region.
What is holiness? Svyato-Vvedenskaya Optina desert - one of ancient monasteries Russia, located on the banks of the Zhizdra River near the city of Kozelsk.
The origin of Optina remains unknown. It can be assumed that it was not the princes and boyars who built it, but the ascetics themselves, by calling from above, with repentant tears, labor and prayer.
The Optina elders had a great influence on the minds of people of various classes. Gogol has been here three times. After visiting Optina Pustyn, Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov was born. special relationship with the monastery (as, indeed, with the church in general) were with Leo Tolstoy.
3. Nilo-Stolobenskaya desert
Where is? Stolobny Island, Svetlitsa Peninsula, Lake Seliger.
What is holiness? The monastery is called the Nil Desert after the Monk Nil, who lived on the island for 27 years and bequeathed to build a monastery. In 1555, Nil reposed and was buried on Stolobny Island. After the death of the monk near his grave, prayer hermits began to settle on the island, and the monastery was founded by them.
Before the revolution, the Nilo-Stolobensky Monastery was among the most revered in Russia, thousands of people came here every year. In 1828, Emperor Alexander I visited the monastery.
After the revolution, the monastery had a difficult fate. He managed to stay and a colony, and a hospital, and a prisoner of war camp, and a camp site. During archaeological excavations on the territory of the monastery, it was found that in the 18th century the largest workshop for the production of pectoral crosses worked here.
Only in 1990, the Nile Hermitage was again transferred to the Orthodox Church, and in 1995 the relics of the Monk Nil were returned here.
.
4. Kizhi
Where is? Kizhi Island, Lake Onega.
What is holiness? Many people think that Kizhi is a beautiful temple somewhere in the North. In fact, this is a whole reserve in which life and unique wooden architecture are carefully preserved.
The Kizhi churchyard with the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord became the center and main monument of the museum. It was laid in 1714 and built without a single nail or foundation. The most remarkable thing is that even in the Soviet years the shrine was not touched - they even left the iconostasis with one hundred and two images.
The entire Kizhi ensemble is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. You can get to the island in summer by rocket from Petrozavodsk and in winter along the ice track from the village. Great lip.
5. Solovetsky Monastery
Where is? White Sea.
What is holiness? Even in pagan times, the Solovetsky Islands were strewn with temples, and the ancient Sami considered this place holy. Already in the 15th century, a monastery arose here, which soon became a major spiritual and social center.
Pilgrimage to the Solovetsky Monastery has always been a great feat, which only a few dared to undertake. Thanks to this, until the beginning of the 20th century, the monks managed to maintain a special atmosphere here, which, oddly enough, did not disappear over the years of hard times. Today, not only pilgrims come here, but also scientists, researchers, historians
6. Trinity-Sergius Lavra
Where is? Moscow region, Sergiev Posad.
What is holiness? This monastery is rightfully considered the spiritual center of Russia. The history of the monastery is inextricably linked with the fate of the country - here Dmitry Donskoy received a blessing for the Battle of Kulikovo, local monks, together with the troops, defended themselves from the Polish-Lithuanian invaders for two years, and the future Tsar Peter I took the oath of the boyars here.
To this day, pilgrims from all over the Orthodox world come here to pray and feel the grace of this place.
7. Pskov-Caves Monastery
Where is? Pechory.
What is holiness? Pskov-Caves Monastery- one of the oldest and most famous Russian monasteries. In 1473, the cave church of the Assumption was consecrated here, excavated by the Monk Jonah in a sandstone hill. This year is considered the year of foundation of the monastery.
The hill where the Assumption Church and God-given caves are located is called the Holy Mountain. On the territory of the monastery there are two holy springs
A feature of the Pskov-Caves Monastery is that it has never been closed in its entire history. During the interwar period (February 1920 to January 1945) it was within the borders of Estonia, thanks to which it was preserved.
8. Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery
Where is? Vologodskaya Oblast, Kirillovsky district.
What is holiness? Kirillo-Belozerskaya Monastery is a city within a city, the largest monastery in Europe. The giant fortress withstood the siege of the enemy more than once - two cars can easily pass on its three-story walls.
The richest people of their time took the tonsure here, and the sovereign's criminals were kept in the casemates. Ivan the Terrible himself favored the monastery and invested considerable funds in it. There is a strange energy here that gives peace.
In the neighborhood there are two more pearls of the North - Ferapontov and Goritsky monasteries. The first is famous for its ancient cathedrals and frescoes of Dionysius, and the second - for nuns from noble families. Those who have been in the vicinity of Kirillov at least once come back.
9. Verkhoturye
Where is? Sverdlovsk region, Verkhotursky district.
What is holiness? Once there was one of the main Ural fortresses, from which several buildings remain (the local Kremlin is the smallest in the country). However, this small town became famous not for its glorious history, but for the large concentration of Orthodox churches and monasteries.
In the 19th century, Verkhoturye became a center of pilgrimage. In 1913, the third largest cathedral was built here. Russian Empire- Holy Cross. Not far from the city, in the village of Merkushino, lived the miracle worker Simeon Verkhotursky, the patron saint of the Urals. People from all over the country come to pray at the relics of the saint - it is believed that they cure diseases.
10. Valaam
Where is? Ladoga lake.
What is holiness? Valaam is one of the two "monastic republics" that existed in Russia. The time of foundation of the Orthodox monastery on the islands is unknown. At the beginning of the 16th century, the monastery already existed; in the XV-XVI centuries, about a dozen future saints lived in the monastery, including, for example, the future founder of another "monastic republic" Savvaty Solovetsky (until 1429) and Alexander Svirsky. It was at this time that the neighboring islands appeared in in large numbers monastic sketes.
Unlike Solovetsky archipelago, where the museum-reserve is the owner, monastic traditions have almost completely revived on Valaam. All monasteries operate here, the monastery also performs administrative functions on the islands, and the vast majority of visitors to Valaam are pilgrims. Throughout the area of the island there are sketes, "branches" of the monastery, about ten in total. The incomparable nature of the Valaam archipelago - a kind of "quintessence" of the nature of South Karelia - contributes to the desire of the pilgrim to move away from the worldly bustle and come to himself.
11. Pustozersk
Where is? Virtually nowhere. Pustozersk is a disappeared city in the lower reaches of the Pechora, in the Zapolyarny region of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. It is located 20 km from the current city of Naryan-Mar.
What is holiness? Pustozersk was the place where Archpriest Avvakum lived in exile in an earthen pit for 15 years, wrote his life and was burned. Pustozersk is still a place of Old Believer pilgrimage and is revered by them as Holy place. A chapel and a refectory were built here, there are memorial crosses
12. Rogozhskaya Sloboda
Where is? Moscow.
What is holiness? Rogozhskaya Sloboda is the historical spiritual center of the Russian Old Believers. In 1771, the Old Believer Rogozhsky cemetery was founded near the Rogozhskaya Zastava, a quarantine, a hospital and a small chapel were also built here.
Then, at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries, two cathedrals were built at the cemetery - Pokrovsky and Rozhdestvensky, the Nikolskaya chapel was rebuilt in stone, houses for clergy and a clergy, monastic cells, six almshouses and many private and merchant houses were erected next to the temples.
For two centuries the Intercession Cathedral was the largest Orthodox church Moscow, accommodating up to 7,000 believers at a time.
By the beginning of the 20th century, the number of Old Believers living in the vicinity of Rogozhsky reached 30,000 people.
13. Great Bulgars
Where is? Republic of Tatarstan, 140 km from Kazan.
What is holiness? Bulgar, one of the greatest cities of the Middle Ages, today is an important place of worship for Russian Muslims. In addition to the ancient ruins, the village of Bolgari and the walls of a large mosque with a minaret of the 13th century remained from the Great Bulgaria. Across the road from the entrance to the mosque is the well-preserved Northern Mausoleum. To the east of the mosque is the Eastern Mausoleum.
The White Mosque is located near the entrance to Bolgar, at the South Gate of the Bulgarian Museum-Reserve. The architectural complex is the building of the mosque itself, the residence of the mufti and the madrasah, and the surrounding prayer area.
14. Aulia Spring
Where is?
Republic of Bashkiria, Mount Aushtau.
What is holiness? Aulia is translated from Bashkir as "saint". This spring is believed to have healing properties. It flows for just over 30 days in late May and early June and gathers tens of thousands of people every year.
People bathe in it in the spring and drink the sacred water, which they believe can get rid of kidney stones, as well as treat respiratory and stomach ailments. In spring, the water of the spring is said to take on its healing properties only after May 15th.
Climbing Mount Aushtau consists of two stages: the first is reaching the sacred spring, the second is climbing to the top of the mountain, where there are three graves, in which, according to legend, the remains of three Islamic missionaries from the city of Osh, who were killed in the 13th century by local residents, are kept. After repentance, these same locals buried Sheikh Muhammad Ramadan al-Ush and his companions on the top of the mountain, on the slopes of which a sacred spring appeared.
15. Mausoleum of Hussein-Bek
Where is? Republic of Bashkiria, 40 km from Ufa.
What is holiness? The mausoleum is located at the Akzirat cemetery. According to legend, it was built in the 14th century for Hadji-Hussein-bek, the first imam on the territory of modern Bashkiria. The order to build the mausoleum was given by Tamerlane himself.
Not far from the mausoleum there are several tombstones with inscriptions on Arabic. It is believed that the commanders of Tamerlane were marked this way.
Mausoleum of Hussein-Bek is considered one of the most sacred Muslim places in Russia. Just 10 km from this place is another ancient mausoleum - the tomb of Turukhan. According to some historians, he was a descendant of Genghis Khan. According to historians, Turukhan, like Hussein-bek, was an enlightened Muslim ruler.
16. Ziyarat Kunta-Haji Kishiev
Where is? Chechen Republic, Khadzhi village.
What is holiness? In Chechnya, there are 59 holy burial places, ziyarats. Ziyarat Kunta-Haji Kishiev is the most revered of them. In the 19th century, the village of Khadzhi was the birthplace of the Sufi sheikh Kunt-Khadzhi Kishiev, a Chechen saint and missionary who preached dhikr (“remembrance of Allah”).
Near the place where Kishiev's house stood, there is a holy spring, the water from which has medicinal properties. Those who wish can also visit the grave of Kishiev's mother. It is located nearby on Mount Ertina, which the Chechens consider a sacred place.
17. Fortress Qala Quraish
Where is? Republic of Dagestan, 120 km from Makhachkala.
What is holiness? The mosque of the Kala Quraysh fortress is one of the oldest mosques in Russia, it was built in the 9th century. Also on the territory of the fortress are an ancient tomb and a museum.
The fortress is located at an altitude of 1000 meters above sea level. Because of his appearance Qala Quraysh is sometimes called Dagestan's Machu Picchu.
The Koreysh, or Quraish, were considered the closest relatives and descendants of the Prophet Mohammed himself, so the Kala Koreysh founded by them turned into the most important center for the spread of Islam in the region.
By the 20th century, Cala Koreish had actually turned into a ghost town. Local residents claim that in the 1970s, two women and one man lived in Kala Koreish. These were the last inhabitants ancient city descendants of Mohammed.
18. Mausoleum of Tuti-bike
Where is? Republic of Dagestan, Derbent.
What is holiness? The mausoleum of the Derbent khans is the only mausoleum that has survived in Derbent. It was erected in 1202 AH of the Muslim calendar (1787-1788) over the grave of Tuti-bike, the ruler of Derbent. In addition to her, her sons are buried in the mausoleum, as well as Hasan Khan's wife Hyp-Jahan Khanum.
The ruler of Derbent Tuti-bike is a very significant figure in the history of Dagestan. In 1774, during the assault on Derbent by the Kaitag utsmi Emir-Gamza, Tuti-bike personally took part in the defense, was on the city wall, controlling the actions of artillery. During the siege of the city, she did not interrupt her prayers, and at the end of it, she went out into the courtyard of the Juma mosque, where an enemy detachment broke in, and killed their leader with a dagger. Tradition says that, amazed by the courage of the woman, the enemies fled.
In the immediate vicinity of the mausoleum is Kyrkhlyar (“forty” in Turkic). This is the burial place of Islamic martyrs.
19. Mausoleum of Borga-Kash
Where is? The mausoleum is located on the northwestern outskirts of the modern rural settlement Plievo Nazranovsky district of the Republic of Ingushetia, on the left hilly bank of the Sunzha, which is a spur of the Sunzha Range.
What is holiness? Historians still disagree about how and why this mausoleum was built.
Borga-Kash is translated as "the tomb of Borgan". According to one version, the mausoleum was the tomb of Burakan Beksultan, one of the main leaders of the Ingush in the fight against Timur's troops, who invaded local lands in 1395. Burakan did not die in the war with Timur, but died ten years later, which corresponds to the time the mausoleum was built.
The 600-year-old mausoleum is an important place of pilgrimage and one of the most valuable Ingush historical monuments. Until now, inscriptions in Arabic have been preserved on the building of the mausoleum.
20. Ivolginsky datsan
Where is? Republic of Buryatia, the village of Verkhnyaya Ivolga. 30 km from Ula-Ude.
What is holiness? Ivolginsky datsan - the main datsan of Russia, the residence of Pandito Khambo Lama - the Head of the Buddhist traditional Sangha of Russia, a large Buddhist monastic complex, a monument of history and architecture.
The body of one of the main ascetics of Buddhism of the 20th century, the head of the Buddhists of Siberia in 1911-1917, Khambo Lama Itigelov, is located in the Ivolginsky datsan. In 1927, he sat in the lotus position, gathered his students and told them to read a well-wishing prayer for the deceased, after which, according to Buddhist beliefs, the lama went into a state of samadhi.
He was buried in a cedar cube in the same lotus position, having bequeathed before his departure to dig out the sarcophagus in 30 years. In 1955, the cube was lifted. The body of the Khambo Lama turned out to be incorruptible, and analyzes carried out by scientists already in 2000 showed that protein fractions have lifetime characteristics, and the concentration of bromine exceeds the norm by 40 times.
Right there, in Ivolginsky Datsan, you can see a magic stone. Near it is an inscription: “According to legend, Nogoon Dari Ehe (Green Tara) touched this stone and left an imprint of her brush on it.
21. Nilovsky Datsan
Where is? In the Tunkinskaya valley, 4 km upstream from the resort "Nilova Pustyn" in the forest at 10 km of the road on Mount Kholma-Ula.
What is holiness? According to an ancient legend, the mythical god Khan Shargay Noyon, the head of the Khaats sitting on the crests of the Sayan Mountains, landed at this place. In honor of this, in 1867 a small blockhouse for prayers was built here. Subsequently, two wooden datsans were built here.
On the territory of the Nilovsky datsan there is a tower made of a long and smooth log with a round wooden barrel upstairs. This design is not found in any of the datsans of Buryatia. Local old-timers say that when the lamas converted the local population to Buddhism, they gathered all the shamans in this place and convinced them to accept the Buddhist faith.
All tambourines and shaman costumes were burned. Sacred relics and silver coins were placed in the barrel and lifted up so that the Buddha could see the gifts. The sand at the landing site of Khan Shargay Noyon is considered holy. It is widely believed that the sand taken by a man gives him strength.
22. Mount Belukha
Where is? The highest point of Gorny Altai. It is located on the territory of the Ust-Koksinsky district.
What is holiness? Many researchers correlate the highest Altai mountain Belukha with the sacred mountain Meru. In particular, the Russian philosopher Nikolai Fedorov tried to confirm this theory. Based on a map depicting the sacred Mount Meru, dated to the 2nd century BC, the Turkologist Murat Aji supplemented the popular hypothesis.
Since ancient times, the mountain has been revered as a shrine by both the Barguzin Buryats and the Mogul-speaking peoples. Buryat mythology tells about the owners of the mountain dune baabay and Khazhar-Sagaan-noyon - heavenly lords who descended to earth.
There is also a legend that a noble khan from the golden family of the Borjigins was buried on Barkhan-Uula. There is also a legend about Soodoy Lama, the great yogi who chose Baragkhan for his meditations.
It is believed that the one who ascended this mountain will be connected with mystical power, and the righteous can see the image of the Buddha on its slopes. Climbing the mountain is usually accompanied by the monks of the Ivolginsky datsan; a huge prayer service is written in Sanskrit in honor of Baragkhan.
What is holiness? According to legend, it was here that the first battles between Genghis Khan and the Merkits, who once inhabited these lands, took place. From 1177 to 1216, the Merkits fought fierce battles against Genghis Khan and Khan Jochi until they were defeated. The Merkit fortress today is not a fortress in the usual sense of the word. These are rocks, on which elements of former fortifications, recesses for signal lights, a well, and observation platforms have been preserved.In the Merkit fortress there are two so-called "humming stones", which, according to legend, are able to heal a woman from infertility and bring good luck in love. Pilgrimages are held to the Merkit fortress, shamans and lamas come here.
in 2010, Buddhist scrolls and tanka icons were discovered here, which lamas hid here during the years of persecution of religion. Since nothing can be taken from the mountain, the scrolls were examined and returned to their place.
Trebes are rituals that, at the request (request) of the parishioners, are performed by the clergy. Requirements are a request to God for health or the repose of people close to you, or yourself. In the process of this or that requirement, the clergy in common prayer bring petitions to the Lord. The concept of "requirements" includes almost all church rites such as: magpie, indestructible psalter, commemoration, prayer service and a candle for health.
When ordering requirements, you need to remember that church rites can only be performed for those baptized in Orthodox Church. And the requirements that are aimed at praying for the departed are not read for suicides, apostates, blasphemers. If you are not sure why a person died, you can always ask the priest for advice on how to do the right thing in a given situation.
There are many situations in which we need the help of the Lord our God. Realizing what needs a person will experience, the Church created several rites with a request for God's help.
According to the ranks, the trebes differ in those that are served in any church, and those that are read purely in monasteries.
When ordering most requirements, you need to submit notes with petitions. Such notes must be written in legible handwriting. First they write church names men then women and children. Worldly positions and ranks of this or that person are not customary to write. But the most important thing is purity of thoughts, openness of the soul and true unshakable faith. The Orthodox Church wants to be closer to its parishioners, and understands perfectly well that progress does not stand still. In our worldly life, the Internet plays an important role, as it helps to save time, and also helps in communication. We understand that not every believer has the physical ability to order the necessary requirements in the exact temple or monastery that is needed, and this is why our website was created, where you can order the requirements via the Internet, no matter where you are. You can order online from anywhere the globe, and all that is required for this is to fill out the proposed order form and send a donation to the needs of the monastery or temple in which you ordered the requirement.
What requirements can be ordered online on our website
Church commemoration
Church commemoration is a prayer during the Liturgy with the mention of the names of the dead and the living, for salvation and eternal good before the Lord God. In order to order a commemoration of a living person, a note “On health” is submitted. If you want to order a commemoration for the deceased, we write at the beginning of the note “On the Repose”.
Sorokoust
Sorokoust is an intensified prayer for repose or health. During the forty Divine Liturgies, the serving priest mentions the name of the person who was served for the magpie. It is believed that there is a remission of sins and the Grace of God comes for the person for whom he prays forty times. For strengthening, you need to order a shrike in several Temples at once.
Indestructible Psalter
The prayer of the strongest power is the indestructible psalter. Indefatigable, it is because it reads like this strong prayer both day and night, without any interruption. The indestructible psalter is ordered exclusively in monasteries. For the monks are special people who live in God's house, and the prayers emanating from them have special power. We must not forget that by ordering a trebu at the monastery, we give money for the needs of the monastery. This is also a Godly work. You can order an indestructible hymnal about health and repose.
prayer service
A prayer service is a divine service during which they turn to the Lord God, the Mother of God or any other Saints whom he serves. Prayers can not only take place as a request for grace, forgiveness, mercy, and help in worldly problems, but also as gratitude to God for what has been sent down.
Candle for health
The fire of a candle that was placed on the altar with open heart in righteous prayer, is a visible sign expressing goodwill, ardent love for this or that icon with the face of the Lord or Mother of God, as well as other Saints of the Orthodox Church. Candles about health should be placed as often as possible. A candle for health can be placed both for yourself and for any other, even an unfamiliar person.
As the Holy Letter says, “A good deed is prayer with almsgiving and fasting and justice. Better a little with justice than a lot with unrighteousness; it is better to do alms than to collect gold” Remember these words whenever you want to order any requirements in the Temples of the Lord.