The good news spread all over Russia this summer: the relics of Silwan of Athos - in Bryansk! With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, this greatest event took place for the first time and was timed to the celebration of the great date - the 1000th anniversary of the emergence of Russian monasticism on the holy land of Mount Athos. These holy relics never left their place and were stored in the walls of the Holy Panteleimon Monastery of the Holy Mountain. Bryansk turned out to be the first city on the list, from where the relics of the Monk Silvanos of Athos (his honest chapter) began their journey. And with them - and the image of the Savior. In front of this icon, one miraculous event happened - the appearance to the saint of the Lord Jesus Christ himself.
Feast of the soul
And on August 31, 2016, a solemn meeting of the relics of Silwan of Athos in Bryansk took place, it was attended by Metropolitan Alexander Bryansk, Bishop Vladimir Klintsovsky, the clergy of the Metropolitanate and a huge number of believers. This grand event came to honor the city authorities of the Bryansk region, represented by the chairman of the regional Duma V.I. Popkov, deputy governors, deputies of the regional duma, etc.
The relics of Silwan of Athos in Bryansk were exhibited on the Cathedral Square, where a huge number of Orthodox people gathered, then a prayer service was performed to the reverend elder. The relics of the saint arrived, accompanied by the inhabitants of the Panteleimon monastery - hieromonks Kirion (Olkhovik) and Alexei (Korsak).
The relics of Silwan of Athos in Bryansk
After the prayer meeting of the holy relics took place, Metropolitan Alexander made a welcoming speech about this significant event. In his speech to those present, he noted that the relics of the Monk Siluan of Athos in Bryansk is a special event for our land. The saint spent 46 years of his life ascetic on Mount Athos, acquiring the grace of the Holy Spirit. After himself, he left theological works and spiritual experience acquired on the Holy Mountain. And now it is advisable for every believer to find time and carefully study the instructions of this holy Divine saint.
The relics of St. Silouan of Athos in Bryansk are a great honor and spiritual joy for every parishioner. Touching this shrine, people are enriched by the holy grace that was characteristic of the holy Athos monk Siluan. This is kindness, humility, meekness, obedience to the will of God. At the conclusion of his speech, Vladyka added that through the prayers of St. Silvanus, the Lord Jesus Christ save the Bryansk land and Russia from all troubles, misfortunes and sorrows and will make it prosperous spiritual and material.
Journey through Mother Russia
After the relics of St. Silouan of Athos were brought to Bryansk, they became available for worship in the Holy Trinity Cathedral. Prayer songs and akathists were performed before them every day. The relics of Silwan of Athos stayed in Bryansk for four days, after which the shrine went to several Russian cities. The offering of the relics of Saint Silvanus and the miraculous image of the Savior were supposed to end in Moscow on September 24th.
However, before this happened, the relics of the Monk Siluan of Athos were brought to their native places, where he was born and raised, to the village of Shovskoye. This touching event took place on September 8, 2016.
In native places
On September 9, a liturgy was served in the village of Shovskiy in the local church of the Nativity of Christ, which was performed by Metropolitan Nikon of Lipetsk together with Metropolitan Zaranov of Saransk, Bishop Matthew of Skopinsky, Maxim Lebedyansky in the host of the clergy. The choir of the Yelets diocese performed a liturgical chant under the direction of Priest Vladimir Neskromny. The ceremonial service was attended by the representative of the President of the Russian Federation from the district A. Beglov, the governor of the Lipetsk region, Korolev O. P., the chairman of the regional council Putilin P. I., the deputy chairman of the Synodal department for Mother Superior Iulianiya (Kaled) and hundreds of pilgrims who came from all over bow to Mount Athos Siluan.
Monument
When the Liturgy was over, Metropolitan Nikon consecrated a bronze monument to the holy ascetic Siluan. It was installed near the Church of the Nativity of Christ, the Russian Military Historical Society, the honored architect of the Russian Federation A. Tikhonov and the sculptor I. Novikov worked on the development, after which everyone went to the Antonov family home, where the saint was born, and to the chapel (place cells), where St. Silouan spent time in prayer. The ark with its relics was also brought here.
Performances
Beglov A. D. made a speech in which he noted that the people of the Lipetsk region carefully preserve the memory of the great holy fellow countryman whom their land bore. Thanks to their care, a lot of work was done in the village of Shovskoy to restore the proper form of memorial buildings of the late 19th century related to the life of the saint: the Nativity of Christ Church, the family museum and chapel. Now they delight the villagers and the crowds of pilgrims who come to these places.
There were many speeches of different people with solemn and mentoring speeches, because everyone was glad to attend such a long-awaited event. Then, a jubilee medal, issued on the 150th anniversary of the birth of the holy elder Silvanus, was donated to the museum, and an exact copy of the Athos fresco with the image of the elder was donated to the chapel. The end of the celebration was the laying of an apple orchard at the house-museum.
Short life
The Monk Siluan (in the world of Simeon Antonov) was born into God in 1866 in the village of Shovskoy, Lebedyansky district, Tambov province, in an ordinary peasant family. It is very significant for believers that he was brought up in the Orthodox faith thanks to his parents.
From childhood, he had a desire to go around the world to seek God. And when he matured, he wanted to go to the Kiev Pechersk Lavra as a monk, but his father wished that he went to military service, and then, if the desire remained, to the monastery.
In his youth, he said, he was unusually strong and could even bend nails with his fingers, break a board with a fist, drink vodka, but she didn’t take it when everyone else was under the table.
In 1892, Simeon resigned and immediately went to Mount Athos, there, in the Holy Panteleimon Monastery, he tonsured monks with the name Siluan.
He recalled that all the way, while he got to Athos, hellish flames were buzzing around him, these were devilish servants who hindered his desire to become a saint of God.
Book of Sophrony Sakharov
A wonderful book was written about the life of this Russian saint by his disciple, Archimandrite Sofroniy Sakharov, entitled "Elder Siluan." According to his biography, the monk from the very beginning of his monasticism earnestly prayed for the grace of the Holy Spirit and at the same time experienced all kinds of temptations. His student carefully preserved all his memories and thoughts and published a book on them, which will be very useful for the spiritual education of any Orthodox person and can even become his reference book.
Elder Silouan appeared before the Lord in 1938, and exactly fifty years later the name of the saint was glorified by the Patriarchate of Constantinople. And in 1992, with the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II, this holiday was included in the month of the ROC.