Kind, cordial, simple and instructive words in life were spoken by Father Zosima (Sokur). They open to us a world of genuine Christian spiritual life, consisting in repentance, prayer, mercy, heart-wrenching and love for others. At the same time, this perspicacious old man menacingly exposed the passions and vices of the modern world. Like thunder sounded his word from the pulpit, he turned his righteous anger at the shameless schismatic autocephalists tearing Christ's tunic apart.
Schiarchimandrite Zosima Sokur
Ivan Alekseevich Sokur (that was the name of Zosima's father in the world) was born in s. Kosolmanka Verkhotursky district of the Sverdlovsk region. It happened on September 3, 1944. His father died that same year at the front. Mother, Maria Ivanovna (future schema-nun Mariamna), was a peasant. She was friends with the nuns, and for this she was sent to prison. There in the hospital, her son was born. At first they wanted to call him Fadey (in honor of the apostle), but the familiar mothers who visited the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra received a blessing from the sheikhumen Kuksha to name the baby John - in honor of John the Baptist.
The path to the priesthood
Maria Ivanovna after her release with her son Ivan moved to live in Avdeevka, Donetsk region. Her sister lived there, who was a nun, and her name was Antonina. She was once the spiritual daughter of Father John of Kronstadt himself.
In 1961, Ivan graduated with honors from Avdeevskaya comprehensive school No. 1. But he did not immediately enter the priestly path. First, from 1961 to 1964, he studied at an agricultural technical school and even managed to work as a veterinarian. Then, with the blessing of his spiritual mentor, he became a novice of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. There, by the will of God, he ended up in a cell, where he once lived until his death, schema Kuksha of Odessa. The confessor of Ivan, schemumen Valentin, predicted many events in his life, one might even say his whole life.
Studying in Leningrad
At first he had an unsuccessful attempt to enter the Theological Seminary of Moscow, the state security service prevented this. Ivan Sokur moved to Novosibirsk and served as a subdeacon for a year with Archbishop Pavel (Golyshev).
From 1968 to 1975, he studied at the Theological Seminary and Academy of Leningrad, and he was enrolled immediately to the second year. In 1975, Ivan Sokur, at that time a fourth-year student, Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod Nicodemus tonsured monks with a name in honor of Savvatiy Solovetsky.
Immediately after studying, he was sent to the Odessa Holy Assumption Monastery. But the severe illness of his mother forced Savvaty to petition for his transfer to the Donetsk diocese. There he began to serve as a village priest in the church of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky in the village. Alexandrovka Maryinsky district. The temple was poor, but Father Savvatiy was able to make sure that the parishioners appeared, and the necessary repairs, and all the necessary purchases for the church’s life were made: the iconostasis, crosses, new icons. At that time, and it was 1980, churches in the USSR were mostly closed, and Father Savvaty did literally miracles, creating a worthy throne to the Lord.
Activity is punishable
In 1977 he was awarded the pectoral cross, in 1983 - the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, III century, in 1984 - the club. The Soviet authorities did not like such an active and bold activity of the village priest, therefore he was repeatedly subjected to threats and beatings. His health was undermined. They began to transfer Father Savvaty from one parish to another in order to break the spirit of a priest inconvenient for them. Every year, he moved from church to church, from city to city, from village to village, until in 1986 he became abbot of the St. Basil’s parish in the village. Nikolskoye, Volnovakha district (Lugansk region). And again, the first thing he begins to repair, build and put everything in order. In 1988, he managed to erect a baptismal hall, abbot chambers and a pilgrimage refectory.
In 1990, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite and in 1992 he was tonsured a schema, having received the name Zosima. In 1997, thanks to his efforts, the almshouse for caring for the elderly and infirm was tripled. In 1998, the Holy Dormition St. Nicholas Vasilyevsky Monastery with fraternal and sister corps was founded by the father of Zosima.
On August 29, 2002, the elder Zosima (Sokur) rested. He knew that he would die soon. His body was buried in the territory of the monastery he rebuilt in a small chapel. His brainchild - the monastery until the end was put in order only in 2008. Patriarch Kirill himself came to consecrate him, who personally knew Father Zosima and spoke with great warmth about him.
Films
The Ukrainian television channel KRT has created amazing films about the life of this outstanding perspicacious old man: "Road, a Lifetime", "Memorial Prayer." In 2005, the publishing house of the Sretensky Monastery published the book “Archimandrite Zosima (Sokur). A word about Holy Russia. " In 2013, the second part of the book of the same publishing house about an old man entitled “What the Sorrow Grieves” was published.
About the Prophecy of Zosima Sokur
Today, many years have passed since the day of his death, and only now many of his prophetic words have become understandably painful in his heart, as his most fateful predictions came true. Father Zosima (Sokur) predicted that the royal family of the Romanovs would become famous in the face of saints in 2000. From the sermons we hear him say that the end is drawing near. The times of the Antichrist have already prepared their terrible disastrous scenarios, which are about to begin.
War, like the wrath of God, will fall upon the Russian people. Blessed will be those who did not give birth, for this means that the children who are born today will die a martyr's death. Father Zosima (Sokur) predicted blood, hard life, and grief with tears. Today the bombs are falling on Serbia, tomorrow the NATO Satanists will bomb Kiev and get to Moscow. Soon there will be more criminals than just normal people. Everywhere - a weapon, a person with glass eyes can shoot at another person for fun. The decline of morals in society. The betrayal of the Church, the Motherland, and all that is holy is being prepared.
Father Zosima (Sokur) warned that the whole basting would begin from Kiev - from the cradle of Russian cities. From it, it will roll all over the Russian land and will not pass Russia. Autocephalists will chase away true Orthodox clergymen, many of whom are in prison and suma.
According to him, "Ukrainians-Zapadentsy" will oppose the Orthodox faith. But monasticism will be an army against the anti-christ servants until the end of the century. There will be many more Martyrs and Companions of the monks, it is they who will courageously stand at the moment when everyone will bow to the Antichrist.
Father Zosima (Sokur) inspired all his children with the words that the Spirit of Russia is mighty and invincible. The Russian bear sleeps, suffers, but when he wakes up and takes the club in his shaggy paw, but as it unwinds and hits, then all Masonic Europe will fly away from this Russian holy club. Mother Russia will stand, and great grace will be there. The forces of the Antichrist will not defeat the Orthodox Church. Lamps of true faith will always burn in the holy land of Russia. The main thing is to be in the bosom of the Russian Patriarchal Church and its unshakable canons.