He became one of the most prominent Orthodox religious leaders, theologians who lived in the 18th century and canonized in the face of the hierarchs and wonderworkers of the Russian Church. Bishop of Voronezh and Yelets, Saint Tikhon of Zadonsky, lived a complex and at the same time wonderful, full of spiritual fruit life, for which he did not tire of thanking the Lord. The saint lived very modestly, consumed meager food and was not afraid of hard physical labor, but he was not at all famous for this. His love for the Lord was so great that he devoted almost his entire life to serving the Church of God on earth.
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk: Life
The future bishop, and while in the world Sokolov Timofey Savelyevich, was born in 1724 in the village of Korotsk, Novgorod province. The family was very poor, father Savely Kirillov was a deacon. Timofey was given a new surname in the Novgorod seminary. He did not remember his father, since he died very early. In the arms of the mother were six children - four sons and two daughters. The older brother, too, like his father, became a deacon; the middle one was taken into the army. There were no funds, and therefore the whole family lived almost starving. It happened when there was absolutely nothing to eat in the house, Timka spent a whole day harrowing the arable land of a rich man for a piece of bread.
Coachman
However, they often began to call on a childless, but rich coachman. He fell in love with Timka as a native and begged his mother to give him in order to raise him as a son and to write off his property to him at the end of his life. Mother was very sorry for Timofey, but extreme poverty and hunger forced her to agree. One day she took her son's hand and went to the coachman. At this time, his older brother was not at home, but when he returned, having learned from his sister that mother and Timka had gone to the coachman, he rushed that he had the strength to catch up with them. And then, overtaking them, knelt before his mother and began to beg her not to give Timk to the coachman. He said that he’d better go around the world himself, but would try to learn his literacy, and then it would be possible to attach him to the Ponomari or clerk. Mother agreed, and they all returned home.
Training
In 1738, mother brought Timka for admission to the Novgorod Theological College. In the same year, the parent died, and Timothy remained an orphan. At the request of his brother, the clerk in Novgorod, he was enrolled in the Novgorod Theological School, operating at the Bishop's House, which in 1740 was renamed the Theological Seminary. Boy Sokolov as one of the best students was immediately enrolled and transferred to official maintenance. And then he began to receive free bread and boiling water. He ate half of the bread, and sold the other and bought candles to read spiritual books. The children of wealthy merchants often laughed at him, for example, they would find traces of his bast shoes and wave them over him instead of the censer with the words: “We magnify thee, saint!”
He studied at the seminary for 14 years and graduated in 1754. The thing is that there were not enough teachers in the seminary. After studying four years of rhetoric, theology and philosophy and two years of grammar, the future saint Tikhon Zadonsky became a teacher of Greek language and theology.
Sheared and new appointments
In the spring of April 10, 1758, Timothy was tonsured a monk named Tikhon, Archimandrite Anthony of the Monastery Parfeny (Sopkovsky). Inoku was then 34 years old. And then he becomes a philosophy teacher at the Novgorod Seminary.
On January 18, 1759 he was appointed archimandrite of the Tver Zheltikov Assumption Monastery, and in the same year he received the post of rector of the Tver Theological Seminary and taught theology. And to all this, it is determined by those present in the spiritual consistory.
Saint Tikhon of Voronezh Zadonsky: Bishopric
A rather interesting event occurred before he was consecrated May 13, 1761 as bishop of Kexholm and Ladoga. When a vicar was required in the Novgorod diocese, seven candidates were chosen for this place, and Archimandrite Tikhon also entered it.
The day of Easter was arrived, in which the lot was to be cast and a candidate for the position was determined. Around the same time, Archimandrite Tikhon, with His Grace Bishop Athanasius, served the Easter Liturgy in the Tver Cathedral. During the Cherubic Song, the bishop was at the altar and took the particles, Archimandrite Tikhon, like other priests, approached him with the usual request: “Remember me, holy master.” And suddenly he heard the response of Vladyka Athanasius: “Thy bishopric be remembered by the Lord God in his kingdom,” and then he stopped short, adding with a smile: “May God grant you to be a bishop.”
In St. Petersburg at that time, lots were thrown three times, and each time he fell with the name of Tikhon. However, he did not stay in this position for long, until 1762, and then he was transferred to chair the Synodal Office. Then St. Tikhon Zadonsky headed the Voronezh department. Bishop of Voronezh and Yelets Ionikiy (Pavlutsky) had already passed away by this time.
Voronezh Department
Vladyka Tikhon was entrusted with the administration of the Voronezh diocese, which, in addition to the Voronezh province, included the Kursk, Oryol, Tambov and Oblast Don Cossacks, at that time all this needed a major transformation. And since the free steppes of the Don at the end of the 17th century became a place of shelter from government persecution of sectarians and Old Believers, the saint was very difficult to deal with the mood of the then church life. Obstacles to his good intentions were arranged by individuals of both secular authorities and the clergy themselves.
But it was important for Bishop Tikhon to prepare a worthy legacy of clever and educated shepherds, so he introduced strict statutory services and requirements. Under his leadership, schools were established for the poor children of the clergy and for the clergy themselves. He sought worthy positions in the clergy, took care not only of his flock, but also of the improvement and grandeur of the temples.
Guides and instructions
In his first year of service in the Voronezh diocese, he writes a short priestly lesson entitled “On the Seven Holy Mysteries”, which describes the true concepts of the sacraments performed. A year later, he creates a guide on how to confess to spiritual fathers and how to arouse feelings of sincere repentance in them, while others who in this confession regret their sins were taught to console themselves with God's mercy. In his diocese, St. Tikhon was the first to prohibit corporal punishment for clergymen, who were then commonplace, he also defended his actions against the authorities.
As a real priest, he cared for the education of shepherds, so two theological schools were opened in Yelets and Ostrogozhsk, and in 1765 he converted the Slavic Theological School of Voronezh into a theological seminary and invited teachers from Kiev and Kharkov. For the moral education of seminary students, he again created a special instruction.
Piety and caring
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk was depressed by the unsuitable condition of the Voronezh monasteries and therefore wrote 15 articles of exhortation to monks. He also wrote special messages for the people to be read by priests before his flock. Thus, the saint fought against the pagan echoes of the celebration of Yarila and extravagant drunkenness on the day of Shrovetide.
Bishop Tikhon always strove for a secluded monastic life, but the endless diocesan affairs did not give any opportunity to fulfill this. He constantly took up arms against immoral amusements, stinginess, love of money, luxury, theft and lack of love for his neighbor and almost never rested. Frequent troubles and difficulties crippled his health, he showed nervous and heart disorders and frequent colds with complications.
Life and hardship
Vladyka lived in a very simple and poor environment, slept on straw and hid in a sheepskin sheepskin coat. Because of this humility, church servants often laughed at him. But he had a saying: "Forgiveness is always better than revenge." Once, the holy fool Kamenev gave him a slap in the face with the words: “Do not be wise!”, And he took such an unexpected attack with thanks to God and even began to feed this holy fool daily . In general, he endured all resentments and sorrows with joy and thanked God for everything that he sends him.
Saint Tikhon, Bishop of Voronezh, Zadonsk miracle worker was always condescending to others, but very strict with himself. Once, during Lent, he went into the cell to his friend, Schemon Mitrofan, who was sitting at the table with the inhabitant of Eletsk, Kozmoy Ignatievich, and they had a fish on the table. They were immediately embarrassed, but the saint said that love for one's neighbor is higher than fasting and therefore, so that they would not worry, he himself tasted the ears with them. He loved ordinary people, consoled him and gave the poor all his money and offerings.
Achieving Holiness
Such his love and exploits of self-denial elevated the saint to the contemplation of Heaven and the vision of the future. In 1778, he saw in a subtle dream that the Mother of God stood on the clouds surrounded by the apostles Peter and Paul, and Saint Tikhon himself knelt before her and began to ask for mercy for the world. But the apostle Paul made such speeches that it was immediately clear that the world would face severe trials. The saint then woke up all in tears.
The following year, again, St. Tikhon saw the Mother of God with the Holy Fathers in white robes. And again, she knelt down before Her, began to ask for one of her relatives, and the Holy Mother of God said that she would be at his request.
Saint Tikhon of Voronezh, Zadonsk Miracle Worker, was exposed to many fateful events for Russia. In particular, he predicted the victory of Russia in the war with Napoleon in 1812.
Prediction
Towards the end of his life, he began to pray that the Lord would tell him the time of death. And there was a voice to him in the morning dawn: "On a weekly day." In the same year he saw a luminous ray, and there were magnificent chambers on it, he wanted to go in the door, but he was told that he could only do this in three years, but he had to work hard. After such a vision, St. Tikhon retired to his cell and rarely received his friends. Clothes and a coffin, which stood in a closet, were prepared for him; Father Tikhon often came to him to cry.
Before his death in a subtle dream, Saint Tikhon Zadonsky saw a familiar priest take out a baby through the Royal doors of the altar, whom the saint kissed on the right cheek, and then he hit him on the left. In the morning, Saint Tikhon felt very ill, his cheek and left leg were numb, his hand began to shake. But he accepted his illness with joy. And then, just before his death, he had a dream, as a staircase appeared before him, to which he is trying to climb, and he does not succeed due to weakness, then the people began to help, support and plant him closer to the clouds. He told his dream to a friend, the monk Kozma, and together they realized that the death of the saint was near.
Peaceful demise
Saint Tikhon retired to his retirement on December 17, 1767. He was allowed to live where he wished, and therefore he first settled in the Tolshevsky Transfiguration Monastery (40 km from Voronezh). However, there was a marshland, this climate did not go to the blessing of the saint’s health, then he moved to Zadonsky Monastery and lived there until the end of his life.
During his infirmities, he constantly communed of the Holy Mysteries, he was soon informed from above that he would appear before the Lord on Sunday, August 13, 1783. At this time he was 59 years old.
In the Zadonsky Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery, St. Tikhon of Zadonsky found his eternal peace, his relics are still in the Vladimir Cathedral.
His canonization took place on August 13, 1861 during the reign of Alexander II. At the grave of the saint almost immediately miracles began to take place.
It is immediately worth noting that the church of St. Tikhon of Zadonsky and Ignatius the God-bearer is included in the whole church town of the Nativity of the Virgin Monastery in the city of Zadonsk, Voronezh Region.
According to old-timers, the hierodeacon of the Theotokos Monastery, Father Victor, in 1943, rented an apartment with one local resident, E.V. Semenova, who had kept the ancient icon of St. Tikhon Zadonsky in the attic for more than ten years, and she became the only saved icon from the Vladimir Cathedral during reign of atheistic Soviet power. She is also called the "grave" image of St. Tikhon, she depicts him in full growth and since the glorification of his name stood behind the cancer of the relics of the saint. There she is now.
Conclusion
Prayers and Akathist to St. Tikhon Zadonsky are especially read in order to heal from spiritual ailments - insanity, depression, raving, and alcoholism.
An interesting fact is that St. Tikhon in the work of “Demons” by F. M. Dostoevsky became the prototype of a literary hero - Elder Tikhon - as the writer himself pointed out, and the monastery was the real basis for the artistic scope of the novel.
Solemn holiday services in memory of St. Tikhon Zadonsky are held on July 19 and August 13.