On January 22, 2018, at the 79th year of his life, after a serious illness, the abbot of the Vvedensky stauropegial monastery of Optina Pustyn, Archimandrite Venedikt (Penkov), reposed in the Lord.

Archimandrite Benedict suffered from a serious illness in recent years. At the same time, he found strength to strengthen and support his brothers and laity, showing sincere Christian kindness and care. Until his last days, Father cared about the fate of our common Fatherland and did not remain indifferent to what was happening in Donbass and Ukraine.

At the beginning of January, Archimandrite Venedict underwent a complex operation on his leg, a week after the operation he was still in intensive care - postoperative complications began. On January 19, the priest’s health deteriorated sharply, and on January 22 he left this world...

Father, the governor of Optina Hermitage, will forever remain in the memory and hearts of the brethren of the monastery, spiritual children, friends and loved ones.

May the Lord rest the soul of the deceased in His Heavenly villages!

May our Lady Queen of Heaven intercede with Her Son to grant mercy to the newly departed soul!

Today you can say goodbye to Archimandrite Benedict from 15.00 to 21.00 at the Moscow courtyard of the Vvedenskaya Optina Hermitage in the Church of the Supreme Apostles Peter and Paul in Yasenevo.

Directions to the Novoyasenevskaya metro station.

Address: Novoyasenevsky Prospect, 42.

The funeral service for the abbot of the Vvedensky stauropegial monastery of Optina Pustyn will take place on January 24, 2018 after the Divine Liturgy, which begins at 6.30.

Archimandrite Venedikt (in the world Vladimir Andreevich Penkov) was born on June 24, 1939. He graduated from the Moscow Theological Seminary, and in 1973 from the Moscow Theological Academy with a candidate of theology degree. In the 1970s he was a resident of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

He was tonsured a monk at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra with the name Benedict in honor of St. Benedict of Nursia.

In 1990, he was appointed rector of Optina Hermitage and elevated to the rank of archimandrite.

Optina Pustyn is one of the centers of Orthodoxy, a monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Kaluga region. The main shrine of the monastery was the Optina elders. At all times, people came to Optina for peace; many famous personalities visited the monastery: Zhukovsky, Tyutchev, Aksakov, Gogol, Dostoevsky; Tchaikovsky, Chizhevsky and Solovyov stayed here.

In 2016, he wrote a request for retirement, which was not granted.

On January 9, 2018, he underwent surgery to amputate the lower limb due to developing diabetes mellitus.

Archimandrite Benedict became widely known in the Orthodox community as an uncompromising zealot, defender of holy Orthodoxy, and a determined opponent of church modernism, ecumenism, and electronic means of enslaving the individual.

Archimandrite Benedict provided assistance to the “For Life” movement, which fights abortion. His Reverence rightly considered abortion to be a grave sin and participated in the prevention of abortions and was the only governor who provided such assistance to public figures.

All the faithful now offer prayers to the Lord for the repose of the soul of Father Benedict. Eternal memory and the Kingdom of Heaven to the newly deceased Archimandrite Benedict!

The brethren of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery, having served the litiya, prayerfully honored the memory of Archimandrite Venedikt (Penkov), abbot of the Holy Vvedenskaya Optina Hermitage, who reposed in the Lord today, January 22, at the 79th year of his life.
Let us pray together for the repose of Father Benedict, because conciliar prayer helps both in earthly life and on the path to God, to eternal life, to eternal joy! And today all Orthodox Christians who sincerely believe in the Lord know that there is no reason for despondency and that our Holy Church perceives earthly life as preparation for eternal life.
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A monk of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Archimandrite Benedict was appointed vicar of the Optina Monastery in 1990 and served the brethren of the monastery in this capacity for more than 27 years. During his management of the monastery, there were years of restoration of the famous monastery, which the state, then still the Soviet Union, returned to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1987.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' noted that Archimandrite Benedict did a lot “ to restore its former splendor" Optina Pustyn, “paying special attention to preserving the continuity of monastic traditions, enlightenment and moral education of our contemporaries.”

The Father-Vicar gave all his strength, spiritual experience, knowledge and talents to the Church and the people of God. People treated him with sincere love and respect. The outcome of his life’s journey can be summed up in the words of the holy Apostle Paul: “He fought a good fight, he finished his course, he kept the faith, and now there is in store for him a crown of righteousness, which will be given by... the Lord, the righteous Judge” (2 Tim. 4:7-8).

The name of Archimandrite Benedict, governor, builder, confessor, will be inscribed not only in the annals of the monastery, but also in the history of monasticism in Russia.

The Holy Vvedenskaya Optina Hermitage has lost its beloved shepherd, the inhabitants and monastics, the clergy and flock are grieving for the deceased father-vicar.

Faith and prayer are a gift that we can all bring to the Altar of the Lord of Glory for the repose of the newly deceased Archimandrite Benedict. May Christ the Savior receive his soul in the villages of the righteous, “where there is no sickness, no sorrow, no sighing, but endless life.”

Kingdom of Heaven to the newly deceased Archimandrite Benedict! Everlasting memory!

Brothers of the Transfiguration of the Savior Valaam Stavropegional Monastery.

Vvedensky Stavropegic Monastery Optina Pustyn

Date of creation: beginning of the 15th century.

Story

The foundation of the Kozelskaya Vvedenskaya Optina Hermitage dates back to the beginning of the 15th century. According to legend, the monastery was founded by a repentant robber named Opta, or in monasticism - Macarius.

The all-Russian glory of the monastery begins in the 1820s, when, with the blessing of St. Philaret (Amphiteatrov), a monastery was built in the monastery in the name of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, in which the elders began to live. 14 saints are venerated as saints. Elders of Optina: St. Leo (1768-1841), Rev. Macarius (1788-1860), Rev. Moses (1782-1862), Rev. Anthony (1795-1865), Rev. Hilarion (1805-73), St. Ambrose (1812-91), St. Anatoly (Zertsalov) (1824-94), Venerable. Isaac I (1810-94), Rev. Joseph (1837-1911), Rev. Barsanuphius (1845-1913), St. Anatoly (Younger) (1855-1922), Venerable. Nektary (1853-1928), Rev. Nikon, confessor (1888-1931), St. Isaac II, sschmch. (1865-1938).

In February 1918, the monastery was closed, the monks were expelled, many of them were arrested, exiled, or died in camps. On November 17, 1987, Optina Pustyn was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church.

Temples

Currently, there are 7 churches in Optina Hermitage: Vvedensky, Vladimir and Kazan on the territory of the monastery; a temple in the name of Hilarion the Great at the gates of the monastery; Church in the name of John the Baptist in the monastery. The temple in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was re-erected on the site of the destroyed one. In 2000, on the territory of the subsidiary farm, a temple was built in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Control of the Loaves.”

In 1990-2018 the abbot of the monastery was Archimandrite Venedikt (Penkov) (+2018).

VIRONARY OF THE OPTINA PUSTIN MONASTERY ARCHIMANDRITE VENEDICT (PENKOV)

Born on June 24, 1939 in Moscow in a family of workers.

In 1956 he graduated from Moscow high school. In 1958 he graduated from the Moscow construction school.

In 1964–1973 - graduated from the Moscow Theological Seminary, then the Academy.

In 1968 he was enrolled in the brethren of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra. He carried obediences to: the head of the library, the second assistant treasurer, on the choir, the confessor of the laity, the monastery leader of the Chernigov monastery.

On August 25, 1969, he was tonsured into the mantle in honor of Rev. Benedict of Nursia (namesake March 27)

1985 - club

1986 - Cross with decoration

1991 - rank of archimandrite

1995 - right to serve with a baton

1980 - medal of the teacher. Sergius of Radonezh 1st degree

1987 - Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh 3rd degree

1995 - Order of Venerable. Seraphim of Sarov, 2nd degree

Today, the Orthodox world suffered an irreparable loss - on the night of January 21-22, Archimandrite Venedikt (Penkov), abbot of the St. Vvedensky Stavropegic Monastery of Optina Hermitage, died untimely.

Archimandrite Venedikt (Penkov), Governor of Optina Pustyn

The governor of the Optina Hermitage, Archimandrite Venedikt (Penkov), went to the Lord, and with him, as it now seems to us, who often visited the monastery in those unique times, an entire era passed into the past - beautiful, heroic, filled with the high pathos of creation.

The monastery’s website reports that Archimandrite Venedikt (Penkov) died after a serious illness. On January 9, due to developing diabetes mellitus, his leg was amputated, and on January 20 he fell into a coma.

“With the saints, rest rest, O Christ, the soul of Your servant Archimandrite Benedict, where there is no sickness, no sorrow, no sighing, but endless life,” says the Optina Pustyn website.

Archimandrite Benedict suffered from a serious illness in recent years. At the same time, he found the strength to strengthen and support his brothers and laity, showing sincere Christian kindness and care. Until his last days, Father cared about the fate of our common Fatherland and did not remain indifferent to what was happening in Donbass and Ukraine.

On January 9, Archimandrite Venedict underwent a complex operation on his leg, a week after the operation he was still in intensive care, and postoperative complications began. On January 19, the priest’s health deteriorated sharply, and this night, at the 78th year of his life, he left this mortal world.

Brief biography of the deceased

Archimandrite Venedikt (in the world Vladimir Andreevich Penkov) was born on June 24, 1939 in Moscow.

In 1956 he graduated from Moscow high school. In 1958 he graduated from the Moscow construction school.

Since 1964 he studied at the Moscow Theological Seminary and Academy.

In 1968 he was enrolled in the brethren of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra. At the Lavra he served as head of the library and assistant treasurer. He was a famous confessor. Subsequently, he bore the obedience of the head of the Chernigov monastery.

On August 25, 1969, he was tonsured into the mantle in honor of Rev. Benedict of Nursia (namesake March 27).

On October 8, 1969 he was ordained to the rank of hierodeacon, and on October 9, 1972 he was ordained to the rank of hieromonk.

In 1973 he graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy with a candidate's degree in theology.

From January 20, 1991, he served as the governor of the reviving Vvedenskaya Optina Hermitage, having served in this obedience for almost thirty years.

It should be noted that Optina Pustyn, in a completely ruined state, was transferred to the Church in 1987. Having accepted the abbotship, Archimandrite Benedict put enormous effort into restoring the illustrious monastery, which had survived the abomination of desolation. It was under him that the temples, bell tower, and outbuildings were rebuilt in the monastery, the relics of most of the Optina elders were discovered and glorified, and the monastery again became the center of monastic and pilgrimage life. The abbot’s huge loving heart managed to embrace everything...

Good Shepherd

Awards:

1985 - awarded the club;

1986 - awarded a cross with decorations;

1991 - elevated to the rank of archimandrite;

1995 - awarded the right to serve with a baton;

1980 - awarded the medal of Rev. Sergius of Radonezh, 1st degree;

1987 - awarded the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh 3rd degree;

1995 - awarded the Order of St. Seraphim of Sarov, 2nd degree.

This is how Father Venedikt will be remembered by us forever.

Optina Putyn

Optina Pustyn is one of the greatest centers of Orthodoxy, a famous monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Kaluga region. The monastery gained worldwide fame thanks to its famous elders. Episodes in the lives of many writers and thinkers in Russia are connected with it. Leo Tolstoy came here shortly before his death, unable to reconcile with God. In the summer of 1878, after the death of his son, F. M. Dostoevsky visited the monastery. Some scenes from the novel The Brothers Karamazov were inspired by this trip. Thus, the prototype of Elder Zosima is Elder Ambrose (Reverend Ambrose of Optina, canonized in 1988), who lived at that time in the monastery of Optina Hermitage.

Many famous personalities came to Optina for peace; many famous personalities visited the monastery: Zhukovsky, Tyutchev, Aksakov, Gogol; Tchaikovsky, Chizhevsky and Solovyov stayed here.

The symbol of Optina is a trumpeting angel,

On the last journey

The brethren of the monastery, the spiritual children of Father Benedict, as well as numerous pilgrims who were privileged to know the father governor, deeply mourn his untimely death.

Photo from the archives of Optina Pustyn

Farewell to Archimandrite Venedict today from 14:00 to 5.00 tomorrow at the Optina Pustyn courtyard in Moscow at the address: Novoyasenevsky Prospekt, 42. Novoyasenevskaya metro station.

From January 23, the coffin with the body of Archimandrite Venedict will be in the Kazan Church of the Optina Pustyn Monastery. Those who wish to say goodbye to the priest will be able to do so until January 24. His funeral service and burial will take place on the same day.

The author of this publication was fortunate to know the priest for many years. We regularly went to the monastery almost from the day it opened, often worked in obediences, and before our eyes it flourished: the relics of the elders were found, the temples were restored. Father Benedict was always in the thick of things, but, despite his enormous workload, he found time to communicate, was friendly and attentive to the needs of pilgrims. Let us breathe a prayerful breath, brothers and sisters, for the newly installed Archimandrite Benedict and strengthen ourselves in the Lord, because there is no death.

The newly deceased Archimandrite Venedict (Penkov) is remembered by the spiritual children who knew the deceased Optina abbot from the Holy Trinity Lavra of Sergius, which once raised him, and from Optina Pustyn, whose brethren Father Benedict led for more than a quarter of a century.

“He carried every brother in his heart”

Gury, Bishop of Arsenyevsk and Dalnegorsk:

Father Benedict was my spiritual father; I met him when I was still a church-going layman. When I shared with him my desire to become a monk, he looked at me with love and blessed:

“If you want to be a monk, live like a monk.”

Of course, it was primarily about the monastery that needs to be built and strengthened in one’s heart. But also in relation to external rules - he blessed, for example, no longer eating meat, but on holidays at a common table:

“For humility,” he instructed, “eat.”

Under his guidance, I began to read the Holy Scriptures, patristic books on dogmatics and asceticism. I tried to live by the commandments. One day a woman asked to help the children, and, remembering what was said: Give to the one who asks you(Matthew 5:42) - I handed her a rather large sum for those times. And then the priest blessed me to live and work for a month in a monastery, where, based on the results of my work, I was also paid.

Father Venedikt never tried to force anyone into bondage - they say, since you are being cared for by me, do not turn to others. On the contrary, he stirred up:

- Go to Father Kirill, go to Father Naum.

I remember when I came to Father Naum, he asked who I was confessing to, and, having heard the answer, he said thoughtfully:

– Father Benedict, like the Apostle Paul, carries all his children in his heart.

He also said that he has special gifts of the Jesus Prayer and chastity.

I know that later, when Father Benedict had already gathered a large brotherhood in Optina Pustyn - like, perhaps, nowhere else in the monasteries of Russia - he cared about everyone and everything. He carried every brother in his heart. He instructed in the study of the Holy Scriptures, in living according to the commandments of Christ: he taught us to see them (because even when we read, we do not see them - but the whole Gospel is permeated with them!) and to fulfill them. That’s why the brotherhood developed, and not so that the brothers seem to live together, but in fact autonomously.

Father Benedict, like the experienced founding fathers of ancient monasteries and monasteries, wisely ruled the monastery. He was not just an administrator, but a father to everyone. I saw the measure of the age of Christ in everyone. He appointed as confessors those who were already ready to care for the new arrivals.

He wanted to take me with him to Optina Pustyn when he was transferred there from the Lavra, but His Holiness Alexy II did not let me go then. It was already a long way to go to see him, and Lyubushka Susaninskaya told me:

- Go to Father Naum.

But we still had an internal, intimate connection with Father Benedict. Especially in the last year, when Father Naum passed away, when I was in Moscow, I always stopped by Father Venedikt to ask for advice and to be consoled. You can simply communicate with such spiritual people, and you will somehow warm up internally...

What wonderful conversations he had! He blessed me too to learn to communicate so openly with people. Father Benedict always shared his spiritual experience very generously. Those in power who were far from the Church, professors, and the artistic intelligentsia came to listen to his words, and so, having delved into what he said, they became churchgoers.

Eternal memory to the faithful servant of Christ.

“He taught us to know and remember the Holy Scriptures in order to fulfill them”

Archimandrite Melchizedek (Artyukhin), rector of the Moscow metochion of Optina Pustyn:

In Optina Pustyn, the father governor left behind a monastery that was prosperous both spiritually and in external splendor. But the main thing is still spiritual fruits. Now there are about sixty hieromonks in the monastery, and about two hundred monastics in total. This is largely due to the talent of Father Benedict to gather around the Lord those seeking the monastic path.

It was precisely the image of monastic life that he demonstrated, the concentrated work of prayer that the people were drawn to, and from among the people those who later became monks and monks separated themselves and dedicated themselves to serving God.

We looked at the dates of the commemoration of Father Benedict: he rested in memory of St. Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow, formerly the Solovetsky abbot-builder; funeral service - in memory of St. Theodosius the Great, head of the cenobitic monasteries; the ninth day falls in memory of St. Anthony the Great, the founder of monastic life in the East; and the fortieth day coincides with the day of remembrance of St. Hermogenes, Patriarch of Moscow, who was the guardian of the Orthodox faith and kept Russia from sliding into union and dubious ties with Catholics.

The governor tirelessly instructed the brethren:

– Read the Holy Scriptures, memorize them in order to fulfill them.

He blessed each monk to carry with him extracts from the Old and New Testaments, and he himself knew many of these words either by heart or very close to the text. Such great importance was attached to the word of God in the monastery. The father governor simply breathed on them. He constantly followed himself and taught others the commandment of St. Seraphim of Sarov: the mind of a monk should swim in the waves of Holy Scripture. The Monk Seraphim himself read the entire New Testament in a week: in the first four days - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - all the Evangelists, on the remaining three days - the Acts of the Holy Apostles, their messages, and ended the week with the reading of the Apocalypse. Our governor also did not let go of the Gospel, and he exhorted, asked, and begged the brethren to be zealous in this work.

But it is impossible to fulfill the Gospel without God’s help, so he taught to pray the Jesus Prayer and himself set an example in this. Otherwise, he said, if a monk does not have inner prayer, he has no prayer. For external prayer is only leaves, but the fruits of fulfilling the Gospel commandments grow from the root of the Jesus Prayer. That is, prayer is not an end in itself. The goal is to live the gospel with God. But without prayer you will not achieve this. Father Benedict was a rare practitioner of the Jesus Prayer in our time. He knew how to teach how to do it.

He himself was a student of two great elders - Fathers Naum (Baiborodin) and Kirill (Pavlov). While still a monk of the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, I saw how Father Benedict remained obedient to the word of his senior mentors. He carried fidelity to the instructions of the elders who raised him throughout his life. The Monk Isaac the Syrian warned: “He who is his own adviser is his own enemy.” Also, the Optina elders adhered to the confession: “But not according to me!” Or as the Monk Simeon the New Theologian said: “It is better to be called a disciple of a disciple, and not to live arbitrarily and uselessly rob the fruits of one’s will.”

By the will of God, having himself become accustomed to obedience, it was Father Benedict who became the continuer of the tradition of eldership in Optina Pustyn. He trained more than ten strong spiritual fathers in the monastery, each of whose children have now become monks, monks, hierodeacons, hieromonks, and abbots. Even though these confessors had not yet come to the extent of the pre-revolutionary Optina elders, Father Benedict organized life in the desert on the basic monastic principle - obedience. God grant that this revived tradition does not fade away.

Elder Ambrose spoke about those who stubbornly live according to their own will: “They have a bull’s custom, but a calf’s mind,” or: “Their own will both teaches and torments; first he’ll torment you, and then he’ll teach you something.” Any internal work is in vain without obedience, which begins with the suppression of one’s egoism and one’s own stupid will and destructive self. The Monk Isaac the Syrian warned: “The devil will soon give such freedom that will be worse than any slavery.” If you do not submit your mind to God, you will certainly submit it to the opposite. “A mind idle [from prayer] is the seat of the devil,” said the saint. Therefore, Father Benedict always instructed the brethren:

– Business is in the hands, and prayer is in the mouth. Always remember God: whatever you do, think, say, do everything in the face of the Living God. As soon as you lose this memory, everything will go wrong, all sorts of nonsense will fill your mind, you will say whatever you want, do what you shouldn’t, etc.

The Kingdom of Heaven to Father Benedict - for creating the brotherhood, continuing the tradition of elder labor and obedience, himself being the doer of the Jesus Prayer and blessing the brethren to do it, teaching him to know and remember the Holy Scriptures in order to fulfill them.

Everlasting memory.

“Prayer was the main driving force of the revived monastery”

Archdeacon Raphael (Romanov), a resident of the Optina Hermitage since 1990, now the cell attendant of Schema-Archimandrite Elijah (Nozdrina):

Father Benedict, imitating the Lord, labored a lot and did a lot, and just like our Leader Himself, he accepted the torture of the cross, which crowned his service to God and people.

Father Eli and I saw how in 1991, on January 20, for the Council of the Holy Baptist of the Lord, Father Benedict came to Optina Pustyn: the brethren met him then at the holy gates of the monastery, and then we all went together to the monastery of St. John the Baptist.

At that time, much still had to be restored in the monastery and in the monastery, and the father governor accepted the holy monastery handed over to him by the hierarchy with great love. He was devoted with all his soul to serving the Church.

He himself was completely non-covetous. For a long time he drove a simple Niva; his cell had extremely simple furnishings. While repairing cell buildings, he repaired his last.

Most of all, he cared that the churches of God in St. Optina would regain their former splendor, as they had before the desecration and destruction.

The father governor was strict with the brethren. But just as we are grateful to our parents when we grow up, we, monks, are deeply grateful to Father Benedict, who encouraged us to be vigilant in prayer and to study the Holy Scriptures. He did not tolerate any violations of the Charter, he punished us, but in doing so he tempered us internally. This is how it should be: a monk must stand before God in a decent manner, not slack, not lazy.

Internal sobriety was complemented by intense physical labor. Father Benedict gave us a clear instruction: the monastery must feed itself. As a zealous master, the governor could involve his brother in obedience related to his specialty in the world. For example, at one time I was tasked with working with bees. Also, knowing this work, at first I tinkered with sheep and goats. Then they brought cows into the monastery. At first they planted monastery gardens, and then they began to sow cereals, beans, potatoes and fields far around - 20-30 kilometers from Optina. So, as a result, the monastery fed not only itself and the pilgrims, but also charity - many of the poor and needy in those parts.

In Father Benedict’s management of the monastery, spiritual success was also driven by external concerns. So, I know that if the father governor saw that a brother was diligently struggling in prayer, he ordained him, and could also appoint him to some responsible service, and blessed him to lead some monastic service. Prayer was the main driving force of the revived monastery.

How happy the father governor was when, through prayer, everything was arranged and worked out! Arriving at the construction site, where the walls of the holy monastery that were once here were rising from the ruins, he simply rejoiced!

Father Elijah and I visited Father Venedikt in the hospital shortly before his death. He didn't say anything anymore. It was clear how he courageously and meekly endured bodily suffering.

Father Venedikt loved Father Kirill (Pavlov) very much. When Father Eli and I went to the elder, I always bowed to him. Listening later to the story of how we visited him, I could not hide my awe.

The spiritual connection with Father Kirill strengthened many on the eve of their own Golgotha.

Rest, Lord, to our dear vicar Father Benedict, who worked so hard to build the holy monastery entrusted to him and its brotherhood!

Everlasting memory.

Recorded by Olga Orlova

At 15 minutes past midnight on January 22, in a Moscow hospital, at the age of 78, Archimandrite Venedict (Penkov), who was the Vicar of His Holiness the Patriarch for twenty-seven years, ruling one of the most famous and beloved monasteries of the Russian people, Optina Pustyn, died.

Exactly 27 years ago, on January 20, 1991, on the day of the Prophet John the Baptist, the patronal feast of the Optina Skete, he arrived in Optina Pustyn, taking control of the monastery. For six months already, the monastery remained without leadership, since its rector, Archimandrite Evlogii, was in the hospital after a serious accident. The monastery, given to the Orthodox Church on November 17, 1987, slowly rose from the ruins. This was the first monastery opened in the Soviet Union (after the Danilov Monastery, which was transferred to the residence of the Patriarch of Moscow). There were already about forty brethren here, strict monastic rules of worship, the central Vvedensky Cathedral, many fraternal buildings and a partially destroyed fence had already been restored. And although the remains of foundations and homeless walls of other churches and bell towers were visible around, and there were still many more problems than hastily patched holes, it was a time of great spiritual upsurge, when the first sprouts of spiritual life slowly but surely began to sprout through the asphalt of atheism.

Archimandrite Benedict is a whole era in the life of our Church. The first half of his church activity, a time of growth and spiritual maturity, passed within the walls of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. There he graduated from the Theological Seminary, and then from the Academy; was tonsured a monk and ordained to the priesthood. There he became a faithful student of Archimandrites Cyril and Naum, communicating with them for two decades, according to him, almost every day. There, together with Archimandrite Alexei (Polikarpov), he became one of the people’s most beloved confessors. Hegumen Vissarion even composed a poem about them in the 80s: “Two pillars of the entire Lavra: Benedict and Alexei.”

For many years, every day, Abbot Benedict confessed for several hours in the gateway Church of St. John the Baptist, where his many spiritual children came. And after the meal he received those who needed a longer conversation at the gatehouse or in his cell. In addition to clergy, he performed several other important obediences: chief accountant of the monastery, librarian, postman, and sang in the choir. A year before being confirmed as governor of Optina Pustyn, he was appointed head of the skete of Gethsemane and began to restore it from complete desolation.

In the library of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra

They looked for a vicar in Optina with great consideration - after all, in some ways this place is much more responsible than most episcopal sees. Father Benedict said that he himself had great doubts, seeing the complexity of the upcoming service. But the elders-confessors blessed and sent me to blessed Lyubushka in Susanino. She said: “Yes, Venedikt, Venedikt maybe.”

At first, the Patriarch offered him a choice: Vicar in Optina or confessor in Diveevo. Father Benedict immediately realized that if he continued to confess, his heart would not stand it for long. And, although there were many of his spiritual children in Diveevo, he without a doubt chose Optina.

In his cell in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra

Moreover, his state of health was depressing. Father Benedict himself did not understand how he could lead such a monastery. After all, until recently, asthma attacks were so severe that he could only sleep while sitting, he was out of breath as soon as he began to speak, and he could not finish shouting at a church service. But the Patriarch said that the Lord would strengthen him. And on the very first day of his arrival at the monastery, Father Viceroy was surprised to notice that he did not need the inhaler can at all, which he never used from that day on, although in the Lavra he was forced to use it many times a day. This is how the will of God was accomplished - the Optina Viceroy often recalled this when it became unbearable for him to manage the monastery, but he no longer dared to ask to retire.

The Patriarch elevated Hegumen Benedict to the rank of Archimandrite and, having received Epiphany in his native monastery, he went to Optina. And at the age of 52, a new stage began in the life of Father Viceroy. Although his life “with St. Sergius” was filled with considerable labor and feats of selflessness and sacrificial love, the upcoming activity was not an elevation, not a step in his church career, but a severe cross, which he accepted for the sake of love for Christ.

In his office in Optina Pustyn. 2006

Having become rector, Father Benedict stopped confessing his spiritual children two years later, because he felt that combining the duties of Vicar and Confessor was beyond his strength. But while recommending that he choose confessors for himself, he did not renounce Fatherhood in spirit and, in extreme cases, always accepted and resolved the questions of his children, answered their notes, and most importantly, did not abandon his prayer, which was felt with undoubted conviction. Archimandrite Naum said that Father Benedict carries his children in his very heart. Behind these seemingly simple words is a feat of faith, deepest responsibility and compassion of his wide and wise heart.

The personal feat of prayer most often turns out to be hidden from people, but in Father Benedict, behind the external severity and extreme composure, one could always feel the constant presence of God. Not by his external position, not by his rank, but precisely by his inner bulk, this short man has always been significant in any society, even among people of much higher status. He did not abandon the secret feat of night prayer, which Father Benedict began back in the Lavra of St. Sergius. For health reasons, he gradually stopped attending the fraternal monastery, and he did not visit the temple every day, but the effect of the Jesus Prayer was very often imprinted on the features of his face, and a thin thread of wooden beads, looping his palm in a loop, was constantly moving. He developed this type of rosary himself back in the Lavra and made it with his own hands, sending it even to Athos at the request of the monks.

St. John the Baptist monastery of Optina Hermitage. 2017

It cannot be said that the established brotherhood of the Desert easily accepted the new Viceroy. He was too different from the former peaceful and delicate Archimandrite Eulogius (who later became Metropolitan of Vladimir). Strong-willed and not particularly in need of advice, Father Benedict changed the liturgical regulations and the entire way of life of the monastery began to lead to a similarity to the Sergius Monastery, where most of his life passed. Some of the former monks left Optina in the first six months, others left later. It was a difficult stage of growing up, like adolescence, which replaced the largely bright and inspired period of childhood. The Viceroy had to endure many severe trials: here was the tragic death of three monks killed on Easter 93rd, and the loss of other faithful helpers and brothers. Even in many words it is impossible to describe the entire life of the monastery, difficult and full of temptations and invisible enemy confrontation.

But the monastery, glorified by the life of the great Optina elders, remote from large cities, attracted many seekers of true monasticism. Although monastic monasteries gradually began to be revived everywhere, Optina Pustyn did not get lost in their ranks, turning into a powerful monastery known throughout the world. Temples, bell towers and other buildings were rebuilt and raised from ruins, and unique granite pavements were laid. The temples received a splendid appearance and new paintings, filled with utensils, elegant carved decorations and icons. Here every day from two to five liturgies are celebrated, the services are distinguished by special reverence and spare monastic beauty, strict and unhurried prayerful singing. The number of brethren last year exceeded 220 people, and the number of pilgrims increases every year.

With guests. 2017

Under Father Benedict, thirteen Optina elders and several new martyrs and confessors of the monastery were glorified. It was possible to recover the relics of ten elders, desecrated by the atheists. Some ascetics and confessors buried in various places were reburied in their native monastery. Biographies and works of the elders, studies and memoirs dedicated to Optina Pustyn were published.

One of the main features that determined the entire path of Archimandrite Benedict was his fiery zeal for the faith. All his successes and numerous achievements were determined by the deepest reverent faith. He was truly a zealot of piety with a caring heart. With great reverence and reverent faith, he treated the great miracle - the descent of the Holy Fire in the Jerusalem Church of the Holy Sepulcher. With great trepidation, he waited every year for the news on Holy Saturday that the “Holy Light” had once again descended.

Demanding from others evangelical purity and sincerity, he himself always set an example of extreme reverence for the shrine. Everyone will remember the services he performed - orderly, unhurried, filled with royal solemnity and at the same time prayerful. His velvety baritone could be heard even in the far corners of the temple, inspiring everyone present to stand before the Lord with trepidation.

Faith was the main treasure of this soul. He so loved the truths contained in the treasury of the Church, often with childlike spontaneity he shared some thought he had read from the Holy Fathers or in Scripture. For many days, turning the acquired treasure in his mind, he wondered and reasoned, and sometimes developed these thoughts, either striking those around him with newly discovered facets, or, on the contrary, confusing him with some bold judgment that ran counter to the teachings of the Church. This was not a far-fetched fantasy, but a living, deepest experience, he lived it. It would be possible not to write about this, preserving a certain formal correctness of “life,” but it is better to try to see these features as they were, than to remain silent and cover them with a veil of half-truths.

On a subsidiary farm. 2009

Being a creative person, Father Venedikt strove to do everything as best, more beautiful, and more intelligently as possible. It is enough to remember what kind of clashes and disputes the approval of sketches of temples, paintings, installation of icons in the temple, approval of the construction of a new building turned into! He interfered in everything: in the work of engineers who poured the foundation, in the projects of architects who proposed drawings of temples, in publishing and decoration.

2010

e books. This was not always successful and often seriously interfered with business. He affirmed, then decided in a new way, changing his blessings many times. However, all these questions were not external for him, but deeply significant, since he felt responsible before God for their solution. It was difficult to work with him, but this showed his indefatigable desire for perfection.

Likewise, in understanding particular issues of theology, he sometimes crossed the line, searched, pondered, and sometimes, carried away, stumbled. But time passed, and he listened to the opinions of those who tried to carefully correct him, and then, although with some reluctance, he abandoned the idea that seemed so beautiful to him, since it was not in consonance with the Truth of the Fathers.

He was a strict shepherd, often not sparing his children with outward human condescension, but putting them before the uncompromising judgment of the Gospel Truth. Those who looked at the life of the monastery from the outside often expressed sympathy to the brethren for living in such austerity; Sometimes the monks themselves could not restrain themselves from grumbling. But, having gone through various temptations, many understood how necessary and fruitful the exactingness of Father Benedict was. Despite all the severity and apparent despotism, the Viceroy never trampled on a person’s personality. He could be very harsh and impartial, regardless of the rank and age of a person, in some cases expressing his comments and punishing for misconduct. But this was the Father’s jealousy, the jealousy of a soul that does not accept negligence, laziness and deceit. Jealousy, burning not to cause pain, but to correct and heal a person. Make him understand the seriousness of life and the responsibility of his soul. No wonder one of his favorite words from Scripture was: “Cursed is everyone who does God’s work carelessly.”

Subsidiary farm. 2007

One could notice that the Father Viceroy, having punished someone, then carefully watched how he endured his rebuke or outburst of anger. If he saw that his brother accepted everything with humility, his spirit rejoiced so sincerely that he even had to, albeit with difficulty, restrain this joy. If someone accepted thoughts and was offended, then Father Venedikt sometimes made considerable efforts to reconcile with him, trying to joke, to make amends for the negative impression that his brother had formed. And he often repeated: “Be angry and do not sin.” And everyone who entrusted his soul to him felt that it was not indifferent to him, that it was not just human passion, lust for power or ambition that was at work here, but a father’s zeal for salvation in God.

Father Benedict was distinguished by a special gift of prudence. He attached great importance to this, saying that even if a person makes a mistake when making any decision, but if he reasoned and made considerable efforts to know the will of God and understand how to do the right thing, then the Lord will not hold him accountable for his mistakes and He will correct their consequences himself. While pondering some thought, he often returned to it, offering one reasoning, then another, looking at it from completely different angles and constantly prayerfully turning to the Lord for admonition. Because of this, the solution to some issues that seemed elementary was delayed for a long time, but no one could blame him for being hasty and superficial.

In recent years, Father Viceroy has changed a lot; almost all of his former severity has gone and been transformed into kindness and amazing cordiality. This change is explained by the fact that the mask of external severity was no longer required, the soul achieved internal freedom and revealed itself to people in that completeness that was previously inaccessible to view, or was revealed only temporarily. This was especially evident not in a business setting, but in moments of relaxation. Every day, if his health permitted, Father Venedikt found time to come to the stables. Communication with horses was for him the break that people, in an incessant line of people rushing to him for solutions to certain problems, did not give him. Combing their manes or feeding them breadcrumbs, he often joked, relaxed from eternal tension, and sometimes even sang. And the horses felt the warmth and kindness that emanated from him. Many guests of the monastery and brethren came to the stables to communicate with him in an informal setting. Everyone knew that there was no better moment to communicate with Father Viceroy than in the stables. Although he “took a break from people,” many issues were resolved there. “The horses are silent, but you keep talking and talking,” he joked.

2007

By his participation in all aspects of the life of the monastery, in every detail, he took on an unbearable burden of responsibility. He couldn’t help it, but it’s not surprising that he often succumbed under its weight. Being a man of remarkable will, he did not dare to shirk responsibility, as he understood it. Idleness was absolutely alien to him; he constantly lived with the problems of the monastery and other people. During the day, he allowed himself only a short rest of 20-25 minutes, and in recent years, sometimes up to an hour, and went out to the stable once or twice. His life was divided between holidays, when he was always at divine services, and workdays, which, most often starting at 8 in the morning, ended only at 11 in the evening, when he could finally retire to his tiny cell.

He was a man of a bygone era. There was no luxury or excess in his life; he was free from the love of money or any kind of acquisitiveness. He continued to live all the time in an unrenovated building, the oldest in the monastery. For a long time he resisted those who wanted to transfer him to foreign cars on business trips to Moscow. He didn’t like traveling abroad or traveling and didn’t go anywhere on principle, spending his holidays on Seliger, blessed by the Patriarch, leisurely fishing with a rod. Usually he sailed away alone in a boat for the whole day, leaving his companions and enjoying more prayerful solitude than the fishing itself. The food of the Viceroy's father was simple, although in recent years, due to health problems, it was quite varied. However, he never allowed violations of fasting days, although doctors often insisted on this.

As an experienced shepherd, Father Vicar created an entire system for educating the brethren. Seeing that urban residents, especially most of the youth, are characterized by infantilism, selfishness and lack of initiative, Father Venedikt led the newcomers through labor obediences in the cowshed, stables, poultry house and other agricultural facilities, where over time all the diligence of a person was revealed, his spiritual qualities were revealed. “You can’t hide how a person treats a horse and how it reacts to him,” he liked to repeat. “If a person has a hidden defect, the animal will immediately sense it and may not even let him near him.” He paid a lot of attention to new novices and candidates for the brethren. Being limited in his movements due to health reasons, he called the brethren to his cell and thoughtfully talked with them, trying not to miss anything important from their previous life, trying through prayer to understand the place of a particular person in the Church, the nature of his personality.

The situation in modern monasteries is such that the Abbot bears the burden of purely external administrative control of such a complex organism. Therefore, there is a danger that “external” financial and economic issues, participation in long services and inevitable communication with those in power and guests of the monastery will not leave the Rector time for internal, often very difficult, questions of the spiritual state of the brotherhood. The number of brethren in Optina increased enormously, and Father Vicar introduced a kind of “eldership” system, when confessors selected from the brethren, experienced in monastic life, are responsible for the leadership of 10-15 brethren. Confessing the children entrusted to them, the confessors resolved the various perplexities that arose with the Rector himself, who, calling them regularly, asked briefly how they lived, and he himself confessed only to the confessors.

2016

Such a system can take the form of sophisticated denunciation, but Father Venedict never set out to enslave a person, he only wanted to help him overcome his many different passions. In the case of the most serious offenses, the confessors encouraged the monk himself to go to the revelation of what he had done to the Abba of the monastery, who, fatherly admonishing the offender, imposed punishment on him if he considered it necessary. What was surprising was that in the case of the most serious offenses of the brethren, with appropriate repentance, punishment was not applied by Father Benedict. Sin itself was the burden that the sinner bore.

In recent years, when the construction and restoration of the walls of the monastery began to approach a certain completion, Father Benedict began to pay more attention to issues of the internal life of the brethren. As a deeply religious person, he was very concerned about the lukewarmness and deep indifference even among those who came to devote their lives to God. Demanding strict adherence to discipline in attending divine services, he willingly met the needs of the sick who were forced to miss services, but in other cases punished them even for a minute's delay. He often repeated that the Lord sees everything, and if someone is disingenuous, citing illness, and evades church prayer, then God will certainly send him illness, wanting to heal this sin.

Wanting to arouse the fear of God, Father Vicar introduced compulsory study of the commandments of the Holy Scriptures. Pocket-sized books were compiled with selected texts of Scripture, which each resident of the monastery had to memorize. This knowledge was tested by Father Benedict himself and the brethren appointed by him. Although this method can be called in many ways scholastic and formal, it helped those who had no desire to independently study the Holy Scriptures to often immerse their minds in its living and imperishable Word. By the enthusiasm with which Father Benedict pronounced some phrase from Scripture, it was clear how much he himself was enlivened by this word. He tirelessly convinced others that they needed to memorize it in order to constantly have it with them and truly comprehend what they read, and knowing it, perform it.

Love and attention to the Word of God were inherent in him from his youth. Immediately after graduating from college, then Volodya Penkov got a job. One day the master gave him the New Testament to read for one night. What am I going to read and then forget everything, the young man thought and decided to rewrite as much as he could manage. He did not sleep at all and during the night he copied the Gospel of Matthew and a couple of the apostolic epistles. The next morning, giving the book to the master, he replied that he could not read much, but he rewrote something. The elderly man was so amazed that he silently leafed through his notebook for a long time, and then, without saying anything, gave him the book. On weekends, Vladimir went into nature, chose a more beautiful place, and sat down to read the Word of God. Apparently there, like Nathanael under the fig tree, the Lord saw him, and the young man had a firm resolve to go to the monastery.

Having amazing chastity from his youth, Father Vicar sometimes during confession could not understand the damage of a person by some kind of prodigal sins, sometimes even expressing this out loud among the brethren close to him. As a man of the old generation, he absolutely did not tolerate the now widespread freedom in clothing, partial nudity, and women wearing pants. When he saw this, the spirit of a zealot, the spirit of a prophet like Elijah, was kindled in him, and he mercilessly castigated this vice in his sermons, seeing in it a terrible sabotage against the chastity of the soul.

Optina Pustyn. Exaltation of the Cross. 2017

In addition to his sermons, which he always delivered without paper and with true inspiration, Father Vicar held Sunday conversations with visiting pilgrims and workers permanently living in the monastery. A venerable old man, wise with experience, he tried to at least to some extent pass it on to others. He often diluted his teachings with jokes, like Elder Ambrose, trying to make them more accessible and understandable. He usually began his conversations with some provocative questions, trying to discourage those listening, to bring some problem to the point of paradox. With this, he tried to stir up people, bring them into informal live communication, and his conversations turned into an exciting journey into the depths of Orthodox spirituality. His pastoral zeal did not allow him to avoid these conversations, even when he began to hear much worse and could not move without assistance.

We still have to appreciate the spiritual greatness of the deceased Vicar of Optina Pustyn, taking a fresh look at the spiritual hero who crossed the line of eternity, a zealot of the faith, a reverent and unhypocritical servant of God.

We ask for deep prayers for the repose of the soul of the newly deceased Archimandrite Benedict.