Sergius of Radonezh (in the world Bartholomew Kirillovich) - hieromonk of the Russian Church, founder of a number of monasteries, including the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. The emergence of Russian spiritual culture is associated with his name. He is considered the greatest Orthodox ascetic of the Russian land.
We bring to your attention a biography of Sergius of Radonezh, which will present the most interesting facts from his life.
So, before you is a short biography of Sergius of Radonezh.
Biography of Sergius of Radonezh
The exact date of birth of Sergius of Radonezh is still unknown. Some historians are inclined to believe that he was born in 1314, others - 1319, and still others - 1322.
Everything that we know about the "holy elder" was written by his disciple, the monk Epiphanius the Wise.
Childhood and youth
According to legend, the parents of Radonezh were the boyar Kirill and his wife Maria, who lived in the village of Varnitsa not far from Rostov.
Sergius's parents had 2 more sons - Stephen and Peter.
When the future hieromonk was 7 years old, he began to study literacy, but his study was rather bad. At the same time, his brothers, on the contrary, were making progress.
Mother and father often scolded Sergius for failing to learn anything. The boy could not do anything, but continued to stubbornly strive to get an education.
Sergius of Radonezh was in prayer, in which he asked the Almighty to learn to read and write and gain wisdom.
If you believe the legend, one day the young man was given a vision in which he saw a certain old man in a black robe. The stranger promised Sergius that from now on he will learn not only to write and read, but also surpass his brothers in knowledge.
As a result, it all happened, at least so the legend says.
Since that time, Radonezhsky easily studied any books, including the Holy Scriptures. Every year he became more and more interested in the traditional teachings of the church.
The teenager was constantly in prayer, fasting, and striving for righteousness. On Wednesdays and Fridays, he did not eat, and on other days he consumed only bread and water.
In the period 1328-1330. the Radonezhsky family faced serious financial difficulties. This led to the relocation of the entire family to the settlement of Radonezh, located on the outskirts of the Moscow principality.
These were not easy times for Russia, since it was under the yoke of the Golden Horde. Russians were subjected to frequent raids and plunders, which made their life miserable.
Monasticism
When the young man was 12 years old, he wanted to be tonsured. His parents did not argue with him, but they warned him that he would be able to take monastic vows only after their death.
They did not have to wait long, as soon the father and mother of Sergius died.
Without wasting time, Radonezh went to the Khotkovo-Pokrovsky Monastery, where his brother Stefan was. The latter was widowed and tonsured before Sergius.
The brothers strived so hard for righteousness and monastic life that they decided to settle on the quiet coast of the Konchura River, where they later founded the desert.
In a deep forest, the Radonezhskys erected a cell and a small church. However, soon Stephen, unable to withstand such an ascetic way of life, went to the Epiphany Monastery.
After the 23-year-old Radonezhsky took tonsure, he became father Sergius. He continued to live in a tract in the wilderness himself.
After some time, many people learned about the righteous father. Monks reached out to him from different ends. As a result, the monastery was founded, on the site of which the Trinity-Sergius Lavra was later built.
Neither Radonezh, nor his followers took payment from the believers, preferring to independently cultivate the land and feed on its fruits.
Every day the community grew larger, as a result of which the once wilderness turned into a habitable territory. Rumors about Sergius of Radonezh reached Constantinople.
By order of Patriarch Philotheus, Sergius was handed over a cross, schema, paraman and a letter. He also recommended to the holy father to introduce in the monastery - kinovia, which implied property and social equality, as well as obedience to the abbot.
This lifestyle has become a perfect example of the relationship between fellow believers. Later, Sergius of Radonezh began to practice this routine of "common life" in other monasteries founded by him.
The disciples of Sergius of Radonezh built about 40 churches on the territory of Russia. Basically, they were erected in a remote area, after which small and large settlements appeared around the monasteries.
This led to the formation of many settlements and the development of the Russian North and the Volga region.
Battle of Kulikovo
Throughout his biography, Sergius of Radonezh preached peace and unity, and also called for the reunification of all Russian lands. Later this created favorable conditions for liberation from the Tatar-Mongol yoke.
The holy father played a special role on the eve of the famous Battle of Kulikovo. He blessed Dmitry Donskoy and his entire squad of many thousands for the war against the invaders, saying that the Russian army would certainly win this battle.
An interesting fact is that with Donskoy Radonezh also sent 2 of his monks, thereby violating the church foundations, which forbade monks to take up arms.
As Sergius expected, the Battle of Kulikovo ended with the victory of the Russian army, albeit at the cost of serious losses.
Miracles
In Orthodoxy, Sergius of Radonezh is credited with many miracles. According to one of the legends, once the Mother of God appeared to him, from which a dazzling radiance emanated.
After the elder bowed to her, she said that she would continue to help him in life.
When Radonezhsky told his compatriots about this case, they took heart. This was due to the fact that the Russian people had to fight the Tatar-Mongols, who oppressed them for many years.
The episode with the Mother of God is one of the most popular in Orthodox icon painting.
Death
Sergiy of Radonezh lived a long and eventful life. He was highly respected by the people and had many followers.
A few days before his death, the monk handed over the abbess to his disciple Nikon, and he himself began to prepare for his death. On the eve of his death, he encouraged people to have godly fear and strive for righteousness.
Sergius of Radonezh died on September 25, 1392.
Over time, the elder was elevated to the face of the saints, calling him a miracle worker. The Trinity Cathedral was built over the grave of Radonezh, where his relics are today.
