Pavel Gruzdev is the last elder of instruction. The happiest day. How Pavel Gruzdev saved a German

Pavel Alexandrovich was born in 1910 in the village of Bolshoi Borok, Mologa district, into a peasant family.
The father was taken to the war, the family began to live in poverty, and in 1916 Pavel went to live with his aunts, the nun Evstoliya and the nuns Elena and Olga, in the Mologa Afanasyevsky convent; first, he grazed chickens, then cows and horses, and sang in the kliros. The wearing of the cassock of an eight-year-old novice was blessed by Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow, who lived for some time in the monastery. In 1928, he was declared unfit for military service due to " poor mental development ". For a short time he was a judge (from the memoirs of an old man) :

"Sometimes they come and tell us:

- There is a Decree! It is necessary to select judges from among the members of the Afanasievskaya Labor Artel.

From the monastery, that is.

- Good,- we agree. - And who to choose as assessors?
- And whoever you want, that and choose.

They chose me, Pavel Aleksandrovich Gruzdev. Need someone else. Whom? Olga, the chairman, she alone had high-heeled shoes. Without that, do not go to the assessors. I'm fine, except for the cassock and bast shoes, nothing. But as an elected assessor, they bought a good shirt, a crazy shirt with a turn-down collar. Ow! infection, and a tie! I tried on for a week, how to tie the court?

In a word, I became a court assessor. Let's go, the city of Mologa, the People's Court. The court announces: Assessors Samoilova and Gruzdev, take your seats. ". I was the first to enter the meeting room, followed by Olga. Fathers! My relatives, the table is covered with red cloth, a decanter of water ... I crossed myself. Olga Samoilova pushes me in the side and whispers in my ear:

- You, infection, at least do not be baptized, because the assessor!
- So it's not a demon, - I answered her.

Good! They announce the verdict, I listen, I listen ... No, that's not it! Wait, wait! I don’t remember, they were tried for what - did he steal something, was it a pood of flour or something else? “ Not,- I say - listen, you, the guy - the judge! After all, understand that his need made him steal something. Maybe the kids are hungry! ”

Yes, I say it with all my might, without looking back. Everyone looks at me and it became so quiet ...

Write attitude to the monastery: “ Don't send more fools as assessors." me, that means ", - the father clarified and laughed.

On May 13, 1941, Pavel Gruzdev, along with Hieromonk Nikolai and 11 other people, was arrested in the case of Archbishop Varlaam (Ryashentsev) of Yaroslavl. The arrested were kept in the prisons of Yaroslavl. For a long time, Pavel Gruzdev was in solitary confinement in complete isolation, then 15 people were placed in a single cell due to lack of space.

(prisoner Pavel Gruzdev, photo from file)

The prisoners did not have enough air, so they took turns crouching at the door gap near the floor to breathe.
During interrogations, Pavel was tortured: they beat him, almost all his teeth were knocked out, his bones were broken and his eyes were blinded, he began to lose his sight.
From the memoirs of an old man:

"During interrogations, the investigator shouted:" You, Gruzdev, if you do not die here in prison, then later you will remember my name with fear! You will remember her well - Spassky is my last name, investigator Spassky! Father Pavel told about this: He was perspicacious, an infection, fear, though I don’t have it, but I didn’t forget his last name, I will remember it to death. He knocked out all my teeth, only left one for divorce »."

He began his pastoral ministry after rehabilitation in 1958 and continued until his death in 1996. On March 9, 1958, in the Feodorovsky Cathedral in Yaroslavl, he was ordained a deacon by Bishop Isaiah of Uglich, and on March 16 - a presbyter. In August 1961, Archbishop Nikodim of Yaroslavl and Rostov was tonsured a monk.

He served as rector of the church in the village of Borzovo, Rybinsk region. Since 1960, he has been rector of the Trinity Church in the village of Verkhne-Nikulsky, Nekouzsky district (formerly Mologa district). He gained fame far beyond the village and even the region. A variety of people went to him for grace-filled consolation and solutions to life's problems. He taught Christian love simply: with parables, life stories, some of which were written down and later published. Father Pavel was a model of Christian non-acquisitiveness: despite his wide popularity, he ate and dressed very simply, during his whole life he did not accumulate any material values.

In 1961 he was awarded a purple skufia by the bishop, in 1963 - a pectoral cross by the patriarch, in 1971 - a club, in 1976 - a cross with decorations. Hieromonk since 1962, hegumen since 1966, archimandrite since 1983.

Father Pavel had the gift to heal diseases, especially skin diseases. He also knew how to heal people from such a terrible disease as despondency. According to Archpriest Sergius (Tsvetkov), even when Father Pavel lay blind, with his pipe in his side, he continued to joke until his last breath and did not lose his cheerfulness. And he healed people from despondency with just his presence.
That's how writes about this gift himself Fr. Sergius:

However, he healed not only from despondency. I remember my mother, after the unction, fell off the porch and broke some bone in her shoulder. The fracture was very painful, and the pain did not recede even for a minute. And the doctors couldn't really help. And my mother and I went to Father Pavel. And he tapped on her shoulder with his fist - that's all ... And the pain went away. I will not say that the bone has grown together right away or something else. No, the healing went on as usual. But the pain receded, left, - and for her then it was the pain that was the biggest burden. And there have been many such...

The priest had a gift to heal any skin diseases. Sometimes he used to make healing ointment in front of me. He put on the stole and mixed the components. I was watching. Once he said to me: Here you know the composition, but you will not succeed, you need to know the word ". According to doctors from Bork, Father Pavel cured any skin diseases with his ointment, even those that doctors refused. Even the elder said that one person received this gift from the Mother of God and passed it on to him. Although I think he may have been that person. Father Paul's love for the Queen of Heaven was boundless.

Father Pavel often wrote down his memoirs. Here are some of them included in the book My relatives":
The happiest day (from the memoirs of an old man) :

Archimandrite Pavel, shortly before his death, in the 90s of our (already past) century, admitted: “My relatives, I had the happiest day in my life. Listen.

Somehow they brought girls to our camps. All of them are young, young, probably, and they were not twenty. Them " benders"They called. Among them is one beauty - her braid is up to her toes and she is sixteen years old at the most. And now she is so roaring, so crying ..." How sad for her - think, - this girl, that she is so killed, she cries so ".

I came closer, I asked ... And there were about two hundred prisoners gathered here, both our campers and those who were with the escort. " And why is the girl so rebellious? "Someone answers me, from their own, new arrivals:" We drove for three days, they didn’t give us expensive bread, they had some kind of overspending. So they came, they paid us for everything at once, they gave us bread. But she took care of it, didn’t eat - a day, or something, what a lean day she had. And this ration, which in three days was stolen, somehow snatched from her. For three days she didn’t eat, now they would share it with her, but we don’t even have bread, we’ve already eaten everything ".

And I had a stash in the barracks - not a stash, but a ration for today - a loaf of bread! I ran to the barracks ... And I received eight hundred grams of bread as a worker. What kind of bread, you know, but still bread. I take this bread and run back. I bring this bread to the girl and give it to me, and she says to me: " No, no need! I do not sell my honor for bread! “And I didn’t take bread, fathers! My dear, dear ones! Yes, Lord! I don’t know what kind of honor it is that a person is ready to die for it?

I put this piece under her arm and ran out of the zone, into the forest! I climbed into the bushes, knelt down ... and such were my tears of joy, no, not bitter. And I think the Lord will say:

- I was hungry, and you, Pavlukha, fed me.
- When, Lord?
- Yes, here's that girl, a Benderovka. You fed me!

That was and is the happiest day of my life, and I have lived a lot."

Batiushka was much more than capable of a well-aimed word. Once in Borki (this is a settlement of scientists in the Yaroslavl region), Father Pavel was sitting at a table with academic physicists, among whom were his spiritual children. There was some respectable scientist there who ate almost nothing, and about each dish he said: I can’t do this, my liver is sick ... from this heartburn ... it’s too spicy ... etc. Father Pavel listened, listened and commented: ROTTEN ASS AND GINGERbread DRISHET!

And again from the memoirs of Archpriest Sergius :

The Lord extended his days. The father said: Those who beat me, who knocked out my teeth, them, the poor; a year later they were shot, but the Lord gave me so many years of life ».

Sometimes I asked him: Father, the Lord helps you in everything, reveals such profound things... Is it because you carried such a feat in your life? He always answered these questions: And I have nothing to do with it, these are camps! "I remember how he talked with Mother Varvara, abbess of the Tolga Monastery, and answered her similar question:" These are all camps, if not for the camps, I would be just nothing! »

I think he was referring to the passionate nature of every person, especially a young one. Indeed, it was suffering that forged from him such an amazing ascetic, an old man. He did not like to talk about his kindness, but sometimes it slipped by itself. One day we were walking with him, walking around the temple. He showed me a picturesque secluded place: Here, I used to read the Psalter from cover to cover »...

Father Pavel often told a joke about a patient who had an operation under anesthesia. He woke up and asked the man with the keys: Doctor, how was the operation? » He replies: « I'm not a doctor, but the apostle Peter ". This anecdote has its own backstory. And it was like that.
According to the story of Father Pavel, when he was undergoing a difficult operation to remove his gallbladder, he suddenly woke up in a different world. There he met an acquaintance, Archimandrite Seraphim (rector of the Varlaamo-Khutyn Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery in Novgorod) and saw many strangers with him. Father Pavel asked the archimandrite what kind of people they were. He replied: “ These are those for whom you always pray with the words: remember, Lord, those whom there is no one to remember, for the sake of need. They all came to help you ". Apparently, thanks to their prayers, the priest then survived and served people a lot more.

In the late 1980s, Father Pavel began to rapidly lose his sight and became almost blind. He could no longer serve alone, without assistants, and in 1992 he was forced to leave the state for health reasons. He settled in Tutaev, at the Resurrection Cathedral, continuing to serve and preach, to receive the people, despite a serious illness and poor eyesight. Priests and laity found answers to life's questions from him and received consolation.
Spiritual vision did not leave the elder. His simple, childishly pure faith, bold, constant prayer came to God and brought grace-filled consolation, a sense of the close presence of God and healing to those for whom he asked. There are numerous testimonies of his foresight. Father Pavel hid these grace-filled gifts under the cover of foolishness.

The funeral took place on January 15, the day of the memory of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov, whom he especially revered, living according to his commandment: " Acquire the Spirit of Peace - and around you thousands will be saved ".
The funeral service and burial was performed by Archbishop Mikhei of Yaroslavl and Rostov, concelebrated by 38 priests and seven deacons, with a large gathering of people from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl and other places.

Archimandrite Pavel was buried, as he bequeathed, at the Leontief cemetery in the left-bank part of the city of Romanov-Borisoglebsk.

(the grave of Archimandrite Pavel Gruzdev at the Leontief cemetery in Tutaev, served by the brethren of the Sretensky Monastery, headed by Fr. Tikhon Shevkunov (now Bishop Tikhon of Yegoryevsky))

What a wonderful father he was! And although he is not glorified in the face of saints (today), it is believed that he is praying for. Paul before the Throne of God for all of us sinners.

Pray, father, for our Russian country, for its authorities and army, for us, for our relatives and loved ones, for those who hate us and create misfortune for us. Pray, father Paul, that the Lord would forgive us our countless sins and have mercy on us all!

With love,
rb Dmitry

Memories of the Elder Archimandrite Paul (Gruzdev)

10 years ago, on January 13, 1996, an amazing old man, Archimandrite Pavel (Gruzdev), reposed in the Lord. From the age of 5 he lived in a monastery, he was arrested as a young man and spent more than 10 years in Stalin's camps. During his life he experienced a lot of suffering and pain, at the end of it he became completely blind, but at the same time he preserved and even increased the love for people commanded by the Lord and amazing childish simplicity. He gave warmth, paternal affection and consolation to all who visited him, instructed many with advice and much more - with life itself. He worked miracles with his prayer. We bring to your attention the reminiscences of Archpriest Sergiy Tsvetkov, who knew Batiushka for the last 15 years of his life.

We did not find the father at home, he was in the Borkovo hospital. There our first meeting took place (by the way, the last meeting was also in the hospital, only in the city of Tutaev). Father Pavel made a huge impression on me at that time: he spoke to me with such love that it seemed that we had known him all our lives. Then, in the hospital, I received permission from the elder to visit him.

Probably, my visits coincided with Father Pavel's daytime rest, so Marya always scolded me on my first visits. I humbled myself from this and stayed in the father’s house with fear. When she began to treat me better, I even regretted that I didn’t have that wonderful state of mind. When my spiritual father died, I asked Father Pavel to become him. He agreed. But he did not agree to lead the spiritual ascetic leadership, although I asked him about it more than once. Maybe he refused out of humility, or maybe he considered it possible only in a monastery.

I think that Father Pavel defeated the demon of despondency. When, due to a rise in the level of soil waters, in his temple, in Nikulsky, the foundation began to shrink, as a result, one of the domes collapsed and crushed the altar. Even so, he showed no sign of suffering. And when he lay blind, with his pipe in his side, until his last breath he continued to joke and did not lose his cheerfulness. I would also like to say about the absence of despondency around Father Pavel, about how he healed people with his mere presence. I myself have experienced this many times myself.

However, he healed not only from despondency. I remember my mother, after the unction, fell off the porch and broke some bone in her shoulder. The fracture was very painful, and the pain did not recede even for a minute. And the doctors couldn't really help. And my mother and I went to Father Pavel. And he tapped on her shoulder with his fist - that's all ... And the pain went away. I will not say that the bone has grown together right away or something else. No, the healing went on as usual. But the pain receded, left, - and for her then it was the pain that was the biggest burden. And there were many such cases.

Valentina M. told me how Father Pavel healed her and her daughter. Valentina had an abscess on her finger. In the hospital, the surgeon operated on the finger and touched the nerve, as a result, the palm stopped bending. At least cry! After all, work on a collective farm, and at home you have to go for cattle. I went with this misfortune to Verkhne-Nikulskoye to the priest. He took her hand and held it in his for a long time. Then Valentina took the blessing and went home. On the same day, the hand became healthy. And her daughter Vera had a complication in her eyes after the flu: a film formed, and she stopped seeing. They both went to the old man. There, in the church, they celebrated the Liturgy and ordered a prayer service to the Mother of God in honor of Her Kazan icon. After the prayer service, the priest called them to his house and fed them. According to Valentina, as soon as they left Father Pavel outside after dinner, the daughter joyfully exclaimed: “Mom, I see!”

The priest had a gift to heal any skin diseases. Sometimes he used to make healing ointment in front of me. He put on the stole and mixed the components. I was watching. Once he told me: “You know the composition, but you won’t succeed, you need to know the word.” According to doctors from Bork, Father Pavel cured any skin diseases with his ointment, even those that doctors refused. Even the elder said that one person received this gift from the Mother of God and passed it on to him. Although I think he may have been that person. Father Paul's love for the Queen of Heaven was boundless.

Every Maundy Thursday, the priest prepared "Thursday salt". He told me how to do it too. I asked him what it was for. He replied: “I give to people, I give to animals.” And he said that the neighbors died a sheep. They came to him. “And I made three bows at the Queen of Heaven and gave them Thursday salt. They dissolved it in water, gave the sheep water to drink, and she recovered.”

All of us who communicated with the priest know that the Lord endowed him with the gift of clairvoyance. Although, as a humble person, he carefully concealed this gift from everyone. In this regard, such cases are remembered.

The elder and I sat alone in the room - he was doing something, and I was thinking. I thought: “Why, after communicating with Father Paul, at the table or in church, heartbroken people and desperate sinners became cheerful and cheerful and returned home as if on wings?” At that moment, the priest turned to me and said aloud: “And I heal them,” and again continued to work. Then I did not immediately understand these words. But when my mother died, nothing could calm me, and only communication with the elder completely healed the pain. Now I understand that the Lord gave him the gift to heal the souls of people through ordinary conversations.

Once I stopped in Verkhne-Nikulsky for the night at Kulikova A. (now deceased). She told me that the priest called her by her first name and patronymic: “But I thought, a sinner, I would simply call me.” On the second day, the priest, seeing her, raised his hand from afar and shouted: “Great, Kulichikha!”

Once the priest says to me: “Take the monastery icons from Mani-Vanya (this is my parishioner, who kept these icons after the ruin of the Sheltometsky monastery), take them to Tolga and the Spaso-Yakovlevsky monastery.” I fulfilled the elder's obedience. After that, there were thieves in the house of this old woman three times. Father Pavel saved the icons in time.

By the way, we once started talking with the priest about the myrrh-streaming of icons. He showed me the Tolga Icon of the Mother of God, which stood in his large room on the shrine, and said that myrrh flowed from her here.

Once I was with the priest, and for some reason he told the same story three times during my stay with him. Men came to him and offered to repair the temple, but he refused. "Rogues," he added. I wondered why he told me this three times. It turned out to be very handy. At home, a team that called itself restorers was already waiting for me. They offered me to repair the temple. Remembering the priest's warning, I suggested that they first repair the fence (300 meters). While they were busy with the fence, I learned that they were expelled from the neighboring collective farm, where

they pretended to be carpenters. When they finished the work, I paid them as agreed, and we parted politely.

By the way, our parish is grateful to the priest for sending us a wonderful master roofer - Vadim from Rybinsk (now deceased). He was an excellent specialist. We called him the man-team, because he did all the work alone. Through the prayers of the elder, at a high altitude, Vadim rather quickly covered five large domes on our Holy Cross Church with galvanized iron. Moreover, he worked in the dead of winter and used only ladders and ropes. Took some work. After the elder, he restored and made anew on our other temple six domes and six crosses above them. This courageous, somewhat rude man with a difficult fate loved Father Pavel very much. But we were surprised that he considered himself, as it were, obligated to complete these works. This incident convinces us that our spiritual father continues to take care of us in the next world.

And here is the story of how Father Pavel humbled me. And also associated with his gift of insight.

He knew how to humble very interestingly. You are standing next to Him - and suddenly he scolds someone. Not on you. Only for some reason you feel that it is said just for you.

Once, while reading the "Ladder" of St. John, I thought that I could have perfect obedience to the elders in the monastery. On the same day I went to my father. He, as always, greeted me cordially and seated me at the table. For the first dish, Father Pavel offered me some tasteless concentrate, on the surface of which pieces of lard floated. I forced myself to eat my portion with difficulty. Suddenly, the priest jumped up, grabbed a saucepan with concentrate and, smiling, poured everything that was left in it into my plate, saying: “Eat, eat for obedience.” It flashed through my head: “I’m going to vomit now, but I did take communion.” Therefore, I immediately with my lips hastily said: “No, father, I cannot fulfill such an obedience.” That's how easily the priest showed me my capabilities and revealed his insight.

And one of my acquaintances came to Father Paul to ask for blessings for the Jesus Prayer. Traveled for a long time, traveled from afar. I thought: “I will take a blessing from the priest on the rosary, I will carry the feat of the Jesus prayer.” And here I got. But the ascetic had not yet had time to open his mouth, as the father to him: “Sit down, sit down, dear! Here's the car just to take you to the train! It means back! “Father, I would like the Jesus Prayer, bless!” - “Sit down, sit down, otherwise they will leave now!” And our prayer book has already humbled himself, goes to the car, sits down, but still manages to ask: “Father, what about prayer?” And the father was so strict to him: “It won’t work!”

And indeed, he later told me that nothing happened with the feat of the Jesus Prayer. But later he realized that for smart doing, you need to lead an appropriate lifestyle. Father Pavel saw it right away.

Yes, Father Pavel could rebuke, he could scold, but he could caress a person in such a way that his own mother cannot caress. Or he will call you such a fool that you want to be called a fool again. Because everything in him was dissolved by love.

In his sermons, Father Paul always touched on the theme of active love for people: to feed and drink the hungry, of which he himself was an example. And also almost all the sermons he repeated: "Holy Russia, keep the Orthodox faith." He himself knew how to cook deliciously and constantly brought food to the gatehouse for all those who remained to spend the night after the vigil. I watched him cook. One might have thought that he was a priest - so it was deftly and neatly.

And once it happened that I thought about his hospitality. Of course, it’s nice that the great old man welcomes me, an unworthy one, so as soon as you arrive, he and Marya immediately bother to set the table. I think they could have waited to feed, first to be spiritually nourished by communicating with the elder.

And here I come again. But approaching (and already hungry), I still look forward to how he will treat me. I enter, say hello, sit down. We start talking to him. But they don't bring tea yet. That's good, I think. I did not come for food, but to enjoy spiritual food.

Finally, Maria, a faithful assistant, gives a voice from the kitchen: “Father! Warm up the fish? - "Yes, wait, Maria!" he answers. And again the conversation flows, the conversation continues ... Again Maria from the kitchen: “Maybe at least put some seagulls, father Pavel?” - "Wait, Maria, wait!" And again we are talking.

Suddenly he gets up and invites me to church. We go to the temple, we attach ourselves to the images. Then he begins, as usual, showing me especially revered icons, telling me about miraculous cases. And by the way, I'm already hungry. We return to his lodge, again we sit down at the table to talk on spiritual topics. Again Mary raises her voice, and again he cuts her off. And I really want to eat!

Finally, the priest, smiling, took out a piece of Thursday salt, rolled it out with a rolling pin, brought a piece of bread (he called such bread “papushnik”) and a mug of kvass. All this he did somehow beautifully and significantly, with love. Still smiling, he dipped a piece of bread in salt, took an appetizing bite and washed it down with kvass. Then he quickly pushed it towards me. I ate, and it seemed to me that I had never eaten anything more delicious. And I understand that I am like that king from the Fatherland, who came to the hermit and tasted his simplest food.

And suddenly I remember that I myself wanted to receive something spiritual from our meeting, and now I received it according to my own desire. But who told the father about this? His spiritual sense said. Yes, the Lord opened human souls to him so that he could heal them and enlighten them. And very often the priest acted as if to meet our feelings and desires.

Father Pavel was an amazing, wonderful person. And yet I would not like to idealize it. And not because, as they say, there is no prophet without a vice (just in the priest I did not notice any vices!), But because the senile height was easily combined in him with ordinary human qualities.

He was a wonderful storyteller, he could entertain us for hours with amazing stories about his bright and unusual life.

Of course, his talents, in particular, the gift of advice, had a spiritual basis. Behind this depth of understanding lay vast experience, prayer work, knowledge of spiritual life. How many times, when I asked him about some person (whom, by the way, he had never seen in his eyes!), he assessed him so accurately and correctly that I was amazed.

Once we came with the priest to Tolga. I led him by the arm, he saw almost nothing. Many approached him for blessings and advice. One girl came up and asked for blessings to the monastery. Father Pavel said: "You're not good enough." She was surprised. Then, going around several buildings, she ran ahead and again asked for blessings to the monastery, but in other words (perhaps knowing that he did not see well). The elder asked where she came from. The girl answered. "Go there," was the answer. I also asked Father Paul about a man who wanted to be ordained. And although he never saw him, he told me right away: "It's not good." More than a year passed, and I was again asked to find out about this man. The elder replied: “If he is consecrated, then the fate of Judas awaits him.”

His whole life is an amazing creative work. He was kind of an artist. If I may say so - an artist of spiritual life. He liked to create some kind of living situations himself, which made everyone happy and amused, consoled and enlightened.

I will describe one case from this series. Three of us traveled from Moscow by train: Batiushka, Tolya Suslov and myself. And then the priest says: “But in Sonkovo, Ninka will bring us pies for the train. Oh, she bakes pies well!”

And our guide was an elderly woman, whom Father Pavel immediately began to call a girl. So he addressed her: “Galek, girl! Bring me a tea!" As soon as she heard it for the first time, she immediately blossomed. And she even looks younger. And she fell in love with the priest so much that she herself asked what else he wanted.

But here is Sonkovo, stop. We sit, waiting for the pies promised by the priest. They don’t carry something ... A minute passes, another, now the stop is coming to an end. They don't! The train has started, let's go...

And then, with a victorious look, “Galek-Girl” appears and proudly announces: “You know how eager you are! But I strictly said that there was nothing to disturb the elder!” Worth and awaits praise for his devotion. Father, of course, praises her: “Well done, girl, well done!” She blossoms even more from these praises.

She left, he joked something good-naturedly about her, but at the same time he was not at all upset. And later, Nina told us: “By Christ God, she begged her to let me through so that she could treat the priest with pies. But she - in any: there is nothing, they say, to disturb the old man! I ask her to at least pass it on herself - for nothing: let the elder rest!

And here is another story about "pies". Once, with a group of my parishioners, we went to see Father Pavel for the patronal feast at the Worthy. Among others were the psalmist Catherine and the altar girl Elizabeth, both from my church. At confession, after reading a permissive prayer over the altar, Father Pavel loudly said to her: “They will say to you: Elizabeth, bake pies, and you will say: I won’t!” On the second day, when we all returned, there was supposed to be a Sunday service in our church. I was informed that the altar girl and the psalmist had quarreled, and Elizabeth did not want to bake prosphora for the service. No matter how we persuaded her, she, out of resentment, flatly refused to bake. Then I reminded her of the father's prediction that he was not hinting to her about pies, but about prosphora. She thought, and began to bake.

I would especially like to say about the feat of foolishness, which the priest carried. His foolishness was very subtle, sometimes on the verge of reasonable, sometimes even crossing this line. But if you start thinking about it, there was nothing unreasonable in his actions. There was a paradox that distinguishes the behavior of holy fools.

It is known, for example, that in the winter in frost he went to the bathhouse barefoot for several kilometers. And I somehow could not resist and asked him a question: “Father! And why did you, after all, walk barefoot? In general, not a very tactful question, given that I asked his elder. But as he asked, so he received. He answered me briefly: “Sport!”

And the locals told me that he used to go to the bathhouse in the winter barefoot, moreover, that he carried boots on his shoulder. They ask him: "Why are you barefoot?" And he replies: “Yes, the boots are new, it’s a pity to stomp!”

My parishioner, grandmother Nastya, now deceased, once wrote me a letter in which she cited the following story from the singer Lyuba: “I’m driving from Bork by bus, we look ahead: a man is running in a sheepskin coat, in a hat - and barefoot. The trousers are rolled up to the knees, and the boots are carried over the shoulder. They caught up, and this is Father Pavel coming from the bathhouse. The snow was already melting, but at night it had fallen by a quarter, so limp that the mud was almost knee-deep. The driver stopped the bus and said: "Get in, father Pavel!" He entered and stands with his bare feet on the iron. I waved to him: "Sit down", and he shows me his fist. I jumped out at my stop and ran home. So he fooled around.

I was told that this walking in the snow was associated with some kind of camp test. Two women, Nastya and Polya, lived with Father Pavel for a week, so they talked to him about everything. He told them: “When I was in prison, they sawed firewood. As everyone sits down to rest or smoke, so I run behind the fire to pray to God. Once they saw me and for this they tied me to a birch, and took off my boots. The snow was knee-deep. I stood until the snow melted under my feet to the ground. I thought that I would get sick and die. And I didn't cough. Since then, my feet have not been cold. I could walk barefoot all the time, but I don’t want to embarrass people.”

I want to say that sometimes the priest allowed a kind of deliberate negligence in his appearance. And it was in his spirit. In the spirit of that very subtle foolishness, about which I have already spoken. Because in fact, he could be very, pointedly neat. Just in this way, I suppose, he denounced the disorder and carelessness in our souls. And when suddenly the priest could express himself with a strong word, everyone around felt: this is our dirt. With different people, the elder could speak their language. Often unbelieving people try to swear in front of priests, in front of believers, to hurt, offend, to show how brave they are. It is the evil one who teaches them so. But the priest could not be taken in this way, he used the weapon of the enemy against himself. He could shave such a person very strongly, and he humbled himself and saw that Father Pavel was not inferior to him in this, but in another he was superior in everything. The father did the work. a great feat, according to the apostle Paul: “I became everything to all, in order to save at least some.”

And the old man's heart ached for everyone. On February 1, 1990, the priest told me that he saw in a dream a standing woman with a child, and behind her sick, affected young trees. I immediately asked him: “With the Child, this is probably the Mother of God?” He replied, "Probably." “And the death of trees,” I ask again, “is it the death of young people?” The old man replied: "Yes." I asked: "War will be?" He replied: "No war."

Of course, I have heard from some people the opinion that he has already weakened his mind in old age. But this is not a deep look. I remember "Paterik". It described one hermit who, when he was accused of insanity in the same way, answered: “Child! To achieve this madness, I labored in the wilderness for thirty years!” Because madness madness - strife ...

Sometimes we sit, talk, listen to him, it seems: well, just an old man and an old man ... And suddenly one phrase, even one of his words - and frost on the skin. And right away you feel that this is not just a kind, affectionate, kind-hearted grandfather, but an extraordinary person - a person of high spirit.

Throughout his life, Father Pavel taught people about cleanliness. Many times he told the same incident from camp life about how a Ukrainian girl, who had not eaten for three days, did not want to accept bread from him. She said: "I do not sell honor." Father Pavel was surprised and did not understand. When it was explained to him, he gave her bread through a familiar camp. Father Pavel often told this incident as an example of chastity.

I will say at least a few words about how he was in the camp. When logging in the taiga, Father Pavel was a passer, that is, he had the opportunity to go outside the camp gate to check the narrow gauge railway. Taking advantage of the free exit, he stocked up in the forest for the winter. To do this, he dug a hole, lined its walls with branches and smeared them with clay, then lit a fire inside the hole - a large clay cauldron turned out. All summer long, the old man would drag mushrooms from the taiga in buckets into it and sprinkle them with salt. In autumn, when the pit was full, he covered everything with thick boughs and placed a large stone on top. In the fall, I made stacks of rowan branches with berries. And in the winter he fed the prisoners with all this. And he saved people from scurvy and starvation. As he said: "You will give a bucket of mushrooms or berries to the guards, but two buckets - to the camp."

But I was especially touched by how he saved a German prisoner, whose horses were crushed by a trolley. First, he pulled him out of the noose, and then defended him in court. He himself is threatened with execution because he defends the fascist muzzle, and he answers them: “You can shoot me, only he is not to blame.” And the court acquitted this German. And this German every morning came to the bed of Father Pavel and put him a piece of his bread ration - he was so grateful to him.

I think that the father told this story to many people. In the camps, the clergy were placed together with criminals. Father Pavel said: he received a ration of bread for the whole day (he showed half a palm) and hid it behind a broom near the bunk. Went for the balanda. Out of mischief, one of the criminals put his foot up, the stew spilled. The hidden bread turned out to be stolen. I really wanted to eat, and Father Pavel went to the taiga to see some berries. The snow in the forest was knee-deep. Having gone a little deeper into the forest, the priest found a clearing absolutely without snow, and a lot of porcini mushrooms stood on it. Father Pavel built a fire and, having roasted the mushrooms strung on a branch, satisfied his hunger. The elder spoke about this many times as a clear miracle of God.

Batiushka spoke about the imprisoned people with whom he sat together - about priests, monks, artists… He told how one day the priesthood of the prisoners served the Liturgy in the forest. The throne was an ordinary stump. And when their camp was transferred to another place, a thunderstorm began, lightning struck this stump and burned it. So the Lord tidied up the shrine so as not to leave it for desecration by ignorant people.

Batiushka told a lot about the camp. He spoke as if by the way, not even about himself. But from these stories I learned, for example, that he used to get up an hour before he got up and wash the whole barrack for his entire term. And of course, for such actions they could not help but love him. And the Lord gave him, as a worker, health. Because Father Paul was a great worker. One had only to look at his hands to understand that these hands can do everything.

Yes, they did everything. Father Pavel did not like idleness, he was always on the move: either he cleans the cemetery, then he bakes prosphora with Manya, then he deals with firewood - and he was already over seventy. I remember that one winter we had to spend the night with him. In the morning we were still in bed, and Father Pavel jumped up at dawn, grabbed a shovel and ran to clear the snow from the paths. He was so alive that it felt like he was young and the spirit was playing in him.

He talked a lot about Russian monasteries, where, what kind of abbots were, what their names were, and he knew very well what shrines were in these monasteries and in what place. Even in Soviet times, he repeatedly visited Valaam, he loved him very much. I've been to all the sketes. He brought various pieces of relics from there, and sometimes even dragged whole bricks - he carried them on himself, and he went there already elderly and sick. But it was important for him, despite the hardships, to bring home this brick as a shrine, as a memory of Valaam. As he confessed to me, while the ship was at the pier, it ran along Valaam for about 30 kilometers. He sometimes spoke about himself: "Russia is leaving ..."

He had an amazing, some unusual memory. He knew many long old songs and knew how to sing them, in addition, he knew various ancient customs and rituals. When we traveled with him around the Yaroslavl region, our paths were quite long. And then all the way he sang songs. I never heard these songs again - neither before nor after. They were very long, dozens of verses - and he remembered all this from his youth.

Batiushka had an amazing influence on everyone from the first meeting. He just blew people away. One of my acquaintances came to see him, the priest said only a few words to him, and he immediately realized that these words were spoken specifically for him, that they were concerned with his problems, although they had met for the first time in their lives.

I remember how Father Pavel confessed me. We always went with him to church, to the throne. They read the prescribed prayers and the priest made sure to read “I Believe”. After confession, he gave the gospel and the cross to kiss. The gospel was always open, and when I applied, I managed to read part of the text. It was either "... your sins are forgiven ..." or something else appropriate to the moment. Then the elder congratulated me on my cleansing and kissed me three times. An interesting feature: sometimes in the winter on non-work days it was quite cold in his church, but he never got cold. Father Pavel took my frozen hands in his, and he had them warm and soft, and I felt warm ...

No one could, like him, create a festive atmosphere in the temple. It can be said that his holidays were especially festive. He could somehow raise, spiritualize, fill everything with content. One old parishioner shared with me: “You know, he so overshadows with a cross, I have never seen anything like that!” It seems to be - what a simple action! And he caused such delight, just when he overshadowed everyone with a cross.

The Lord extended his days. The father said: “Those who beat me, who knocked out my teeth, them, the poor; a year later they were shot, but the Lord gave me so many years of life.”

I think he was referring to the passionate nature of every person, especially a young one. Indeed, it was suffering that forged from him such an amazing ascetic, an old man. He did not like to talk about his kindness, but sometimes it slipped by itself. One day we were walking with him, walking around the temple. He showed me a picturesque secluded place: "Here, it happened, I read the Psalter from cover to cover."

At night he wrote diaries (this is in addition to the huge prayer rules!), He was very fond of reading akathists. At almost every service, he read out some akathist and read it with such solemnity that, it seems to me, the saints from Heaven looked and wondered: “Who reads like that there?”

Father Pavel often told a joke about a patient who had an operation under anesthesia. He woke up and asked the man with the keys: “Doctor, how was the operation?” He replies: "I am not a doctor, but the apostle Peter." This anecdote has its own backstory. And it was like that. According to the story of Father Pavel, when he was undergoing a difficult operation to remove his gallbladder, he suddenly woke up in a different world. There he met an acquaintance, Archimandrite Seraphim, and with him he saw many strangers. Father Pavel asked the archimandrite what kind of people they were. He replied: “These are those for whom you always pray with the words: remember, Lord, those whom there is no one to remember, for the sake of need. They all came to help you." Apparently, thanks to their prayers, the priest then survived and served people a lot more.

I was present at Father Pavel's last hours. I still remember this amazing feeling: we are at the death of a Russian hero, a kind of epic Ilya Muromets. Of course, we understood that an old man, that a prayer book, a person of high spirituality ... And yet, a comparison came to mind precisely with a Russian hero, handsome and courageous.

We can say - everyone who knew him - that we were honored to see a real righteous man, a holy elder, as if from old books, a confessor of Christ, possessing genuine humility. And it was amazing - such an abundance of gifts, and at the same time - such humility, humility of mind. And these, it would seem, such different qualities - greatness and meekness - surprisingly coexisted and harmonized in him.

The memoirs of Archpriest Sergiy Tsvetkov are based on the book “Archimandrite Pavel (Gruzdev): Documents for a biography, memoirs about the priest, Father Pavel’s stories about his life, selected entries from diary notebooks” (Moscow, “Father’s House", 2006).

Since ancient times, it has been a custom among the Russian people on the eve of Holy Thursday to put a sieve with grain, baked bread and a salt shaker specially prepared in the oven (it was called “Thursday”) in a hut under the icons. Having prayed to God, the hosts left it all in the holy corner until the first day of Pascha. The grain was poured into the bins so that there was no shortage of bread. Baked bread was given to cattle, releasing it for the first time in the spring to pasture, so that there would be no loss of cattle. Thursday salt was used as a medicine and to avoid various misfortunes.

Near the holy Jordan, like a tear, the water is clear,
where the verbs of John showed us Christ,
where eternally green cypress slender row,
where the fig tree ripens twice without changing its outfit, -

there, under a hot, clear sky through bushes and forests,
a strip writhed like a black ribbon for crops.
Its owner forgot to know, or is it abandoned,
Or the farmer was afraid to entrust her seeds.

These days long past, as rumor has conveyed,
The Mother of God Mary still lived on earth.
She often went to the garden, to the sad garden of Gethsemane,
She prayed for her son there for the salvation of new children.

Once, at sunrise, She went to pray in the garden.
He sees: the rude son of nature sows seeds in the earth.
- What are you planting here? - with greetings, the Virgin Mother told him.
- Stones.
- Your land will give you an answer to sowing

From that time until now, the heavens look the same way,
to meadows and valleys, where this strip is.
But that sowing does not rise, that sowing has withered forever -
the traveler finds only stone peas.

11 / 01 / 2006

May 5th, 2015

Archimandrite Pavel(in the world Pavel Alexandrovich Gruzdev(January 10 (23), 1910 - January 13, 1996) - Archimandrite Russian Orthodox Church, elder .
(Based on Wikipedia)

Born on January 10 (23), 1910 in the village of Bolshoi Borok, Mologa district in the peasant family of Alexander Ivanovich (1888-1958), who worked in Mologa in a butcher's shop, and Alexandra Nikolaevna, nee Solntseva (1890-1961). He had two younger sisters: Olga (1912) and Maria (1914). Father was taken away to war , the family began to live in poverty, and in 1916 Pavel went to live with his aunts, the nun Evstoliya and the nuns Elena and Olga, in Mologa Afanasyevsky Convent ; first herded chickens, then cows and horses, sang on kliros. wear a cassock the eight-year-old novice was blessed by the Patriarch of Moscow, who lived for some time in the monastery Tikhon . In 1928, he was declared unfit for military service due to "poor mental development." For a short time he was a court assessor:

people's court<…>I was the first to enter the meeting room, followed by Olga. Fathers! My relatives, the table is covered with red cloth, a decanter of water ... I crossed myself. Olga Samoilovna pushes me in the side and whispers in my ear: “You, infection, at least don’t be baptized, you’re an assessor!” “So it’s not a demon,” I answered her. Good! They announce the verdict, I listen, I listen ... No, that's not it! Wait, wait! I don’t remember what they were tried for - did he steal something, was it a pood of flour or something else? “No,” I say, “listen, you, boy, are the judge! After all, understand that his need made him steal something. Maybe his kids are hungry! Yes, I say it with all my might, without looking back. Everyone was looking at me and it became so quiet… They wrote their attitude to the monastery: “Don’t send more fools to the assessors.”

On May 13, 1941, Pavel Gruzdev, along with Hieromonk Nikolai and 11 other people, was arrested in the case of Archbishop Varlaam (Ryashentsev) of Yaroslavl. Those arrested were kept in the prisons of Yaroslavl. For a long time, Pavel Gruzdev was in solitary confinement in complete isolation, then 15 people were placed in a single cell due to lack of space. The prisoners did not have enough air, so they took turns crouching at the door gap near the floor to breathe.

During interrogations, Pavel was tortured: they beat him, almost all his teeth were knocked out, his bones were broken and his eyes were blinded, he began to lose his sight.
All other prisoners involved in this case were shot., and Father Pavel was sentenced to six years in prison in labor camps with a loss of rights for 3 years. From 1941 to 1947 he was in Vyatlage (Kirov region, Kaisky district, p / o Volosnitsa ), being prisoner number 513.

With the end of the war, he was released, returned to Tutaev to his former work and occupations, but in 1949 he was convicted again in the same case and exiled to a free settlement in Kazakh SSR indefinitely. He was a laborer in the regional construction office in Petropavlovsk ; in his free time he performed duties clerk and reader in the Cathedral of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul ; lived with elderly spouses, ran their household. On August 20, 1954, he was released as an innocent victim. As a good worker, he was persuaded to marry and stay in Petropavlovsk.

Upon returning to Tutaev, he lived with his parents, was a worker in the Gorkomstroykontor, built roads, landscaped parks and squares, served as a reader in his spare time, sang on the choir and sang in. He submitted two petitions for ordination to the priesthood, but he was refused due to a criminal record. January 21, 1958 was rehabilitated and filed a new petition.

On March 9, 1958, in the Feodorovsky Cathedral in Yaroslavl, he was ordained a vodeacon by Bishop Isaiah of Uglich, and on March 16 - to the presbyter. In August 1961 he was tonsured a monk by Archbishop Nikodim of Yaroslavl and Rostov.

He served as rector of the church in the village of Borzovo, Rybinsk region. Since 1960, he has been rector of the Trinity Church in the village of Verkhne-Nikulsky, Nekouzsky district (formerly Mologa district). He gained fame far beyond the village and even the region. A variety of people went to him for grace-filled consolation and solutions to life's problems. He taught Christian love simply: parables, life stories, some of which were written down and later published. Father Pavel was a model of Christian non-acquisitiveness: despite his wide popularity, he ate and dressed very simply, during his whole life he did not accumulate any material values.

In 1961 he was awarded a purple skufia by the bishop, in 1963 - a pectoral cross by the patriarch, in 1971 - a club, in 1976 - a cross with decorations. Hieromonk since 1962, hegumen since 1966, archimandrite since 1983.

Since June 1992, due to health reasons, he moved to Tutaev and lived in a gatehouse at the Resurrection Cathedral, since he did not have any funds to purchase housing. Despite complete blindness and a serious illness, he continued to serve and preach, to receive people. Died January 13, 1996. He was buried by Archbishop Mikhei of Yaroslavl and Rostov, co-served by 38 priests and 7 deacons with a large gathering of people next to his parents.

The burial place of Father Pavel is popularly revered, pilgrims from different regions of Russia come to him. Memorial services are constantly served at the grave of the elder.

Interesting Facts

• According to numerous testimonies, Father Pavel walked barefoot in the snow in the most severe frosts. Perhaps this was due to torture by cold in a concentration camp, after which he ceased to be afraid of frost.


• The concentration camp guards called Pavel "holy man".


• During his imprisonment and exile, Paul learned a lot. Already a priest in the village of Verkhne-Nikulsky, Father Pavel, at the request of the chairman of the collective farm, regularly helped take in the winter, which took place with difficulties, calving of cows. For this, he was respected by the local authorities.


• Archpriest Pavel Krasnotsvetov tells about a funny episode from the life of Father Pavel. “Once Father Pavel gave communion to his clergy. He had one altar bowl, over 90 years old. And now she comes to the bowl, but she cannot name her name - she forgot! “Mother, tell me your name!” Father Pavel tells her. And she is just silent. Then he himself calls her name and takes communion ... "


• Three programs of the St. Petersburg radio "Grad Petrov" were dedicated to the memory of Father Pavel on August 15, 23 and 29, 2010. The programs were recorded by Archpriest Georgy Mitrofanov, a well-known historian and leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, whose spiritual mentor was Father Pavel.

The most interesting fact

According to the recollections of those present, the priest's beard aroused my deep distrust of him. And because of that, I began to treat him with obvious suspicion. And when at some point he turned away, I, who already knew how to walk, rushed to run away from him. Yes, they say, quickly, that everyone was surprised at such a run, and at such and such a not too mature age.

All this my attitude towards him greatly amused Father Pavel. With a cheerful laugh, he caught up with me, picked me up in his arms and exclaimed: "Well, what a quick one - just a real astronaut!" (On my birthday - August 6, 1961, our cosmonaut No.2 - German Titov. In the maternity hospital where I was born, a nurse who entered the ward with women in labor asked: "Well, how many Germans do we have here today?" - and not a single Herman was found. No one named their child that way) So for a long time later, according to Father Pavel, I was prophesied to become an astronaut. But not fate, perhaps? However, life is far from over! Let's see how his "prediction" will come true?))

These are my connections with Heaven))

Pavel Alexandrovich was born in 1910 in the village of Bolshoi Borok, Mologa district, into a peasant family.
The father was taken to the war, the family began to live in poverty, and in 1916 Pavel went to live with his aunts, the nun Evstoliya and the nuns Elena and Olga, in the Mologa Afanasyevsky convent; first, he grazed chickens, then cows and horses, and sang in the kliros. The wearing of the cassock of an eight-year-old novice was blessed by Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow, who lived for some time in the monastery. In 1928, he was declared unfit for military service due to " poor mental development ". For a short time he was a judge (from the memoirs of an old man) :

"Sometimes they come and tell us:

- There is a Decree! It is necessary to select judges from among the members of the Afanasievskaya Labor Artel.

From the monastery, that is.

- Good,- we agree. - And who to choose as assessors?
- And whoever you want, that and choose.

They chose me, Pavel Aleksandrovich Gruzdev. Need someone else. Whom? Olga, the chairman, she alone had high-heeled shoes. Without that, do not go to the assessors. I'm fine, except for the cassock and bast shoes, nothing. But as an elected assessor, they bought a good shirt, a crazy shirt with a turn-down collar. Ow! infection, and a tie! I tried on for a week, how to tie the court?

In a word, I became a court assessor. Let's go, the city of Mologa, the People's Court. The court announces: Assessors Samoilova and Gruzdev, take your seats. ". I was the first to enter the meeting room, followed by Olga. Fathers! My relatives, the table is covered with red cloth, a decanter of water ... I crossed myself. Olga Samoilova pushes me in the side and whispers in my ear:

- You, infection, at least do not be baptized, because the assessor!
- So it's not a demon, - I answered her.

Good! They announce the verdict, I listen, I listen ... No, that's not it! Wait, wait! I don’t remember, they were tried for what - did he steal something, was it a pood of flour or something else? “ Not,- I say - listen, you, the guy - the judge! After all, understand that his need made him steal something. Maybe the kids are hungry! ”

Yes, I say it with all my might, without looking back. Everyone looks at me and it became so quiet ...

Write attitude to the monastery: “ Don't send more fools as assessors." me, that means ", - the father clarified and laughed.

On May 13, 1941, Pavel Gruzdev, along with Hieromonk Nikolai and 11 other people, was arrested in the case of Archbishop Varlaam (Ryashentsev) of Yaroslavl. The arrested were kept in the prisons of Yaroslavl. For a long time, Pavel Gruzdev was in solitary confinement in complete isolation, then 15 people were placed in a single cell due to lack of space.

(prisoner Pavel Gruzdev, photo from file)

The prisoners did not have enough air, so they took turns crouching at the door gap near the floor to breathe.
During interrogations, Pavel was tortured: they beat him, almost all his teeth were knocked out, his bones were broken and his eyes were blinded, he began to lose his sight.
From the memoirs of an old man:

"During interrogations, the investigator shouted:" You, Gruzdev, if you do not die here in prison, then later you will remember my name with fear! You will remember her well - Spassky is my last name, investigator Spassky! Father Pavel told about this: He was perspicacious, an infection, fear, though I don’t have it, but I didn’t forget his last name, I will remember it to death. He knocked out all my teeth, only left one for divorce »."

He began his pastoral ministry after rehabilitation in 1958 and continued until his death in 1996. On March 9, 1958, in the Feodorovsky Cathedral in Yaroslavl, he was ordained a deacon by Bishop Isaiah of Uglich, and on March 16 - a presbyter. In August 1961, Archbishop Nikodim of Yaroslavl and Rostov was tonsured a monk.

He served as rector of the church in the village of Borzovo, Rybinsk region. Since 1960, he has been rector of the Trinity Church in the village of Verkhne-Nikulsky, Nekouzsky district (formerly Mologa district). He gained fame far beyond the village and even the region. A variety of people went to him for grace-filled consolation and solutions to life's problems. He taught Christian love simply: with parables, life stories, some of which were written down and later published. Father Pavel was a model of Christian non-acquisitiveness: despite his wide popularity, he ate and dressed very simply, during his whole life he did not accumulate any material values.

In 1961 he was awarded a purple skufia by the bishop, in 1963 - a pectoral cross by the patriarch, in 1971 - a club, in 1976 - a cross with decorations. Hieromonk since 1962, hegumen since 1966, archimandrite since 1983.

Father Pavel had the gift to heal diseases, especially skin diseases. He also knew how to heal people from such a terrible disease as despondency. According to Archpriest Sergius (Tsvetkov), even when Father Pavel lay blind, with his pipe in his side, he continued to joke until his last breath and did not lose his cheerfulness. And he healed people from despondency with just his presence.
That's how writes about this gift himself Fr. Sergius:

However, he healed not only from despondency. I remember my mother, after the unction, fell off the porch and broke some bone in her shoulder. The fracture was very painful, and the pain did not recede even for a minute. And the doctors couldn't really help. And my mother and I went to Father Pavel. And he tapped on her shoulder with his fist - that's all ... And the pain went away. I will not say that the bone has grown together right away or something else. No, the healing went on as usual. But the pain receded, left, - and for her then it was the pain that was the biggest burden. And there have been many such...

The priest had a gift to heal any skin diseases. Sometimes he used to make healing ointment in front of me. He put on the stole and mixed the components. I was watching. Once he said to me: Here you know the composition, but you will not succeed, you need to know the word ". According to doctors from Bork, Father Pavel cured any skin diseases with his ointment, even those that doctors refused. Even the elder said that one person received this gift from the Mother of God and passed it on to him. Although I think he may have been that person. Father Paul's love for the Queen of Heaven was boundless.

Father Pavel often wrote down his memoirs. Here are some of them included in the book My relatives":
The happiest day (from the memoirs of an old man) :

Archimandrite Pavel, shortly before his death, in the 90s of our (already past) century, admitted: “My relatives, I had the happiest day in my life. Listen.

Somehow they brought girls to our camps. All of them are young, young, probably, and they were not twenty. Them " benders"They called. Among them is one beauty - her braid is up to her toes and she is sixteen years old at the most. And now she is so roaring, so crying ..." How sad for her - think, - this girl, that she is so killed, she cries so ".

I came closer, I asked ... And there were about two hundred prisoners gathered here, both our campers and those who were with the escort. " And why is the girl so rebellious? "Someone answers me, from their own, new arrivals:" We drove for three days, they didn’t give us expensive bread, they had some kind of overspending. So they came, they paid us for everything at once, they gave us bread. But she took care of it, didn’t eat - a day, or something, what a lean day she had. And this ration, which in three days was stolen, somehow snatched from her. For three days she didn’t eat, now they would share it with her, but we don’t even have bread, we’ve already eaten everything ".

And I had a stash in the barracks - not a stash, but a ration for today - a loaf of bread! I ran to the barracks ... And I received eight hundred grams of bread as a worker. What kind of bread, you know, but still bread. I take this bread and run back. I bring this bread to the girl and give it to me, and she says to me: " No, no need! I do not sell my honor for bread! “And I didn’t take bread, fathers! My dear, dear ones! Yes, Lord! I don’t know what kind of honor it is that a person is ready to die for it?

I put this piece under her arm and ran out of the zone, into the forest! I climbed into the bushes, knelt down ... and such were my tears of joy, no, not bitter. And I think the Lord will say:

- I was hungry, and you, Pavlukha, fed me.
- When, Lord?
- Yes, here's that girl, a Benderovka. You fed me!

That was and is the happiest day of my life, and I have lived a lot."

Batiushka was much more than capable of a well-aimed word. Once in Borki (this is a settlement of scientists in the Yaroslavl region), Father Pavel was sitting at a table with academic physicists, among whom were his spiritual children. There was some respectable scientist there who ate almost nothing, and about each dish he said: I can’t do this, my liver is sick ... from this heartburn ... it’s too spicy ... etc. Father Pavel listened, listened and commented: ROTTEN ASS AND GINGERbread DRISHET!

And again from the memoirs of Archpriest Sergius :

The Lord extended his days. The father said: Those who beat me, who knocked out my teeth, them, the poor; a year later they were shot, but the Lord gave me so many years of life ».

Sometimes I asked him: Father, the Lord helps you in everything, reveals such profound things... Is it because you carried such a feat in your life? He always answered these questions: And I have nothing to do with it, these are camps! "I remember how he talked with Mother Varvara, abbess of the Tolga Monastery, and answered her similar question:" These are all camps, if not for the camps, I would be just nothing! »

I think he was referring to the passionate nature of every person, especially a young one. Indeed, it was suffering that forged from him such an amazing ascetic, an old man. He did not like to talk about his kindness, but sometimes it slipped by itself. One day we were walking with him, walking around the temple. He showed me a picturesque secluded place: Here, I used to read the Psalter from cover to cover »...

Father Pavel often told a joke about a patient who had an operation under anesthesia. He woke up and asked the man with the keys: Doctor, how was the operation? » He replies: « I'm not a doctor, but the apostle Peter ". This anecdote has its own backstory. And it was like that.
According to the story of Father Pavel, when he was undergoing a difficult operation to remove his gallbladder, he suddenly woke up in a different world. There he met an acquaintance, Archimandrite Seraphim (rector of the Varlaamo-Khutyn Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery in Novgorod) and saw many strangers with him. Father Pavel asked the archimandrite what kind of people they were. He replied: “ These are those for whom you always pray with the words: remember, Lord, those whom there is no one to remember, for the sake of need. They all came to help you ". Apparently, thanks to their prayers, the priest then survived and served people a lot more.

In the late 1980s, Father Pavel began to rapidly lose his sight and became almost blind. He could no longer serve alone, without assistants, and in 1992 he was forced to leave the state for health reasons. He settled in Tutaev, at the Resurrection Cathedral, continuing to serve and preach, to receive the people, despite a serious illness and poor eyesight. Priests and laity found answers to life's questions from him and received consolation.
Spiritual vision did not leave the elder. His simple, childishly pure faith, bold, constant prayer came to God and brought grace-filled consolation, a sense of the close presence of God and healing to those for whom he asked. There are numerous testimonies of his foresight. Father Pavel hid these grace-filled gifts under the cover of foolishness.

The funeral took place on January 15, the day of the memory of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov, whom he especially revered, living according to his commandment: " Acquire the Spirit of Peace - and around you thousands will be saved ".
The funeral service and burial was performed by Archbishop Mikhei of Yaroslavl and Rostov, concelebrated by 38 priests and seven deacons, with a large gathering of people from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl and other places.

Archimandrite Pavel was buried, as he bequeathed, at the Leontief cemetery in the left-bank part of the city of Romanov-Borisoglebsk.

(the grave of Archimandrite Pavel Gruzdev at the Leontief cemetery in Tutaev, served by the brethren of the Sretensky Monastery, headed by Fr. Tikhon Shevkunov (now Bishop Tikhon of Yegoryevsky))

What a wonderful father he was! And although he is not glorified in the face of saints (today), it is believed that he is praying for. Paul before the Throne of God for all of us sinners.

Pray, father, for our Russian country, for its authorities and army, for us, for our relatives and loved ones, for those who hate us and create misfortune for us. Pray, father Paul, that the Lord would forgive us our countless sins and have mercy on us all!

With love,
rb Dmitry

(January 10 (23), 1910, Mologa district - January 13, 1996, Tutaev) - an amazing elder of the Russian Orthodox Church. From an early age he lived at the monastery, during the years of revolutionary turmoil he served and worked for the good of the Church, from 1938 wandered through prisons and exile. Having preserved his childish soul, meekness and love for his neighbors, at the end of his earthly path he became especially revered by believers: people came to him for spiritual advice, for a warm word of encouragement.

To the saints who are on earth, and to Your marvelous ones - all my desire is for them.

(Ps. 15:3)

Archimandrite Pavel (Gruzdev) - who was he?

Once I learned that a very respectable old man was staying in the house of a priest we knew. I went to the Shatovs with a strong desire to see once again in my life the chosen vessel of God's grace. Sometimes we even meet somewhere, in the midst of worldly vanity, with holy people, but their spiritual height is not revealed to our eyes. As through dirty, dull glasses we look at a person. He seems to us insignificant, vicious, like all the others around us. To see God's fire warming the soul of one's neighbor is a gift from the Lord. Having received this gift, having seen the fire of the Holy Spirit in the heart of another person, I want to show people this Light, to say: “Look, in our age this person was born and grew up, in the age of general apostasy from God, from faith. Being for many years among fallen people, among thieves, bandits, in a concentration camp, without a church, in hard work, this man managed to keep in his pure heart Love for God, Love for people - that is, the holiness of his soul.

Only twice for an hour I sat at the bedside of the already weak and sick father Pavel, but what I heard from him figuratively remained in my memory. I will try to describe it colorfully, may the Name of the Lord be hallowed in our souls.

God led me to meet their family confessor, Fr. Pavel Gruzdev, at Fr. Arkady's.

When the First World War began, Pavlik was only four years old. His father was taken to the soldiers. The mother was unable to feed a large family, so she sent two children to beg.

Hand in hand with his six-year-old sister, Pavlik went from house to house, asking for alms for the sake of Christ. So barefoot, ragged children trudged from village to village, rejoicing at the crusts of bread, carrots and cucumbers that the poor peasants served them. Tired and exhausted, the children made their way to the monastery, where their older sister lived as a novice (junior rank). The miserable appearance of the children touched the sister's heart, and she kept the children to herself. So from early childhood Pavlik got to know the life of people who dedicated themselves to God.

The boy diligently performed the work entrusted to him. In winter, he brought logs of firewood to the stoves, in summer he weeded a garden, drove cattle into the field - in general, he did everything that was within his power. He grew up, got stronger, and by the age of eighteen was doing all the hard physical work in the monastery, since he was the only man there.

Here came the revolution. Like thunder and a storm it swept across Russia, breaking the old way of life, destroying everything around. Monasteries were dispersed, churches were closed, the clergy were arrested. Paul also had to leave the monastery, which sheltered him from childhood. He came to the monastery of Varlaam Khutynsky, located near Novgorod. Here he was dressed in a cassock (monastic rank) with the blessing of Bishop Alexy (Simansky), the future Patriarch. But four years later, that is, in the 22nd year, the Soviet authorities also dispersed this monastery. Pavel started working in shipbuilding, which was called “Khutyn”. Paul remained a deep believer, attended the temple, was there as a psalmist. Such people were objectionable to the Soviet authorities, so in 1938 Pavel was arrested. But since no guilt was found for him, he was released, and in May 1941 he was arrested again. If not for the prison, then Pavel would have gone to the front, since the Great Patriotic War had already begun in June. But the All-seeing Lord saved the life of His servant, for He kept him for those years when faith in Russia awakens again, when the people need shepherds who call to repentance.

In the transit prison, Pavel endured both hunger and dirt, and then he endured a long journey to the Kirov region, near the city of Perm. There was a camp for prisoners - "VUTLAG". Here, near Vyatka, Pavel was destined to work on the railroad for six whole years, that is, the entire war.

Gruzdev Pavel's accusatory article was the 58th, but three more letters were attributed to it - SOE, which denoted a "socially dangerous element." So, under the Soviet regime, believers were called who could support the persecuted Church by the example of their honest, religious life. These people were not to blame, but they were kept in concentration camps, isolating society from them. Pavel also got into the number of ESR.

The camp authorities knew that Gruzdev did not commit any crime, he was submissive to fate, meek and hardworking. Therefore, Paul was not "under guard", but enjoyed relative freedom. He could leave the camp without guards and do whatever he wanted. But it was his duty to monitor the health of the railway track for six kilometers. If deep snow fell, then other prisoners were assigned to help Pavel. He had to distribute shovels, crowbars, brooms to them and oversee the cleaning of the section of the road entrusted to him. To do this, Pavel had to come to the “track” an hour earlier than others, get the tools of labor, take everything to the road.

In autumn, on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 28), it suddenly got colder and deep snow fell overnight. Pavel spent the night alone in a wretched closet under the stairs. Raising his head from a pillow stuffed with hay, Pavel saw snow and hurried to the track, not having time to eat the bread he received for the day. Returning to his closet, Paul did not find the piece of bread he had hidden. It was stolen. Liquid soup-balanda did not satisfy hunger. Pavel felt a strong weakness. However, he took a bag of tools on his shoulder and went to check the railway. He tapped the rails, tightened the nuts, and he himself sang prayers for the holiday: “Save, Lord, Thy people And bless Thy inheritance ...”

His loud voice, which at first echoed through the endless forest, soon faded, and his legs began to give way from hunger. Paul called to the Lord, begging Him not to let him fall and freeze. If not for deep snow, then in September he could have hoped to find lingonberries and blueberries in the forest ... “Lord, send me at least something to eat,” Paul asked. He stepped off the embankment and plunged into the woods. Pavel went up to the huge fir trees, the branches of which bent to the ground under the weight of snowdrifts. But closer to the trunk, the snow had not yet settled. Parting the boughs, Pavel bent down and climbed into the damp twilight. Then he saw before him a huge family of excellent white mushrooms, strong, juicy. Paul rejoiced, thanked God and collected these wonderful gifts of nature in a bag. He immediately returned to his closet and, having flooded the stove, boiled the mushrooms sent to him by God with salt. “So I became convinced that God’s mercy was upon me,” Father Paul told us. - On another occasion, I walked my section of the path to the end, carefully checked everything and reported to the chief about the serviceability of the path. The day was autumn, cold, then rain, then snow, it got dark quickly. The chief suggested that I ride back to the camp with him on a steam locomotive, to which I readily agreed. Our locomotive rushes through the darkness of the night, and suddenly - a push! But nothing, we rushed on, only my boss got angry:

- Is the path in order, if we ride like that? I'll give you bread! And suddenly - a second push! The chief was furious:

- I'll put you in a punishment cell!!!

“I can’t know anything,” I answer, “everything was in good order during the day.

And as soon as we arrived, I ran back along the tracks: I need to find out what kind of shocks there were, because the train will go, God forbid, what will happen. I look - on the tracks a horse lies without a head. God gave me strength, I barely pulled the corpse off the rails to the side, then I went on. I noticed places where there were shocks. And what: another horse with cut off legs lies on the rails. That's it! So, the shepherd gaped. I pulled this carcass aside as well and went to the barn where the shepherd was supposed to be. All around - darkness of the night, wind, rain. And I hear some wheezing. I go into the barn, and there is a shepherd hanging. I rather climbed up, cut the rope with my tool. The body crashed to the ground. I let him shake, toss, hit on the heels. No pulse! But I do not let up, I pray: "Help, Lord, if You sent me here at his last moment." And blood gushed out of his nose and ears. I realized: the dead will not bleed. He started feeling his pulse again. I hear the shepherd's heart beat. Well, I think now you are alive and breathing, lie down, rest, and I will go. I ran to the medical unit and reported. Immediately, a handcar with a paramedic drove to the place where I indicated. Saved a man. Three weeks later I was called to court as a witness. The shepherd was a freelancer.”

They demanded from Father Pavel that he confirm the opinion of the judge: the shepherd is an enemy of the people, “contra”, purposely killed the horses.

“No,” replied Father Pavel, “the shepherd was tired and fell asleep from exhaustion, he must be excused. He himself was not happy with what had happened, he was not even happy with his own life, that's why he climbed into the noose, to which I am a witness.

- Yes, you, father, are at the same time with him, you both need to be sued! they shouted at Father Pavel. But he stood firm in his opinion.

The shepherd was given five years "probation", that is, he remained at large with the condition that this would not happen again. From that day on Father Pavel occasionally found an extra piece of bread under his pillow.

“It was the shepherd who thanked me, even though I told him that I had enough, I don’t need it,” Father Pavel ended his story.

It was bitter for Father Paul to see how people, under the weight of suffering, lost their sense of mercy and did not believe in it.

“But I wanted to get at least some news about my people,” Father Pavel said. - And now, when a new group of prisoners comes to the camp, I run and ask if there are any Yaroslavl among them. One day I saw among the new arrivals a young girl who was crying bitterly. I approached her and asked with sympathy what she was so upset about. But she just really wanted to eat, she was weak from hunger, and she was very offended that some hooligan snatched a loaf of bread from under her arm and disappeared into the crowd. And no one took pity on her, no one dared to betray the thief, no one shared bread with her. And these people were taken from Belarus for long days and for the last three days on the road they were not given bread. That's all and emaciated, angry, petrified hearts. I ran to my closet, where I had hidden a piece of half-eaten rations, brought and served bread to the girl. But she does not take it: “I,” she says, “do not sell my honor for bread.” “Yes, I don’t demand anything from you,” I say. But she - in any! I felt sorry for her to tears. I gave the bread to a woman I knew, from whom the girl accepted it. And I myself fell on my bunk and sobbed for a long, long time. I’m a monk, I didn’t know feelings for a woman, but who believed in it!

And the unfortunate girl was among the prisoners, nicknamed "spikelets". In the early 1930s, the collective farm fields were harvested with machinery. Needy hungry peasants after harvesting again came to empty fields. They picked up in bunches of ears of grain that had accidentally fallen on the sides of the car, carried them home. In the village, these peasants were arrested as "encroaching on collective farm property." If the ears of corn had rotted in the field, then no one from the authorities would have regretted it. But the hearts of the authorities were so hardened that a mother was torn from her children for a bunch of ears of corn, children were taken away from their parents, poor old women were imprisoned, and then all the “guilty in the field” were taken to distant lands, into exile for many years. The fault of these people was that they were ready to gather ripe grains from the ears from hunger and, grinding them, bake themselves bread cakes.

While serving his sentence in the camp, Pavel helped the prisoners in any way he could.

Later he told us:

The paths that I took went through the forest. In the summer of berries there was apparently invisible. I'll put on a mosquito net, take a bucket and bring strawberries to the camp hospital. And he brought blueberries and two buckets each. They gave me a double ration of bread for this - plus six hundred grams! I stocked mushrooms for the winter, fed everyone with salt.

I asked my father:

- Where did you get salt for mushrooms? He replied:

“Whole trains laden with salt passed by us. Salt was lying in huge clods along the railway track, there was no need for salt. I dug a deep hole in the forest, smeared it with clay, filled it with brushwood, firewood and burned the walls so that they rang like an earthen pot! I’ll put a layer of mushrooms on the bottom of the pit, put it down with salt, then I’ll cut off a layer of poles from young trees, put perches, and again mushrooms on top, so by autumn I’ll fill the pit to the top. From above I crush the mushrooms with stones, they will give their juice and are stored in brine, covered with burdocks and tree branches. Food for the long winter! I also stored mountain ash - these are vitamins. A layer of rowan branches with berries, a layer of spruce branches - so I’ll make a whole stack. Rodents - hares, ground squirrels - are afraid of spruce needles and do not touch my stocks. But it was difficult to store rose hips: rose hips rotted in haystacks, and in the wild birds ate it, rodents destroyed it. But I also collected a lot of rose hips for the camp, and blueberries, and lingonberries, only there were no raspberries in that forest.

In a wagon for prisoners, called the "gas chamber", Father Pavel traveled for two months to the city of Pavlovsk. Among the bandits and thieves, embittered, sick, hungry, enduring either cold or heat, dirt and stench, time for Father Pavel dragged on painfully long. The only consolation was heartfelt prayer and the company of two priests who were traveling in the same carriage with Father Pavel.

Finally the train stopped. The prisoners were released, lined up, they began to check according to the lists. They were built in columns and taken away under escort. Where - no one knew, the bare endless steppes stretched around. By evening, the station was empty, on the platform there were three people who were not listed as criminals. They were two priests and Father Pavel. They turned to the authorities with a question:

– Where should we go? We don’t have any documents, there are other people’s places around.

“Go to the city yourself, ask the police there,” was the answer.

Father Pavel said this: “Night has come. Around the darkness is impenetrable, the road is not visible. Tired of two months of shaking in the carriage, intoxicated with fresh air after the stuffiness and stench on the train, we walked slowly and soon exhausted ourselves. We descended into some kind of hollow, fell on the fragrant grass and immediately fell into a deep sleep. I woke up before dawn and saw the starry sky above me. I haven't seen him for a long time, I haven't breathed fresh air for a long time. Bright streaks of dawn appeared in the east. "God! How good! How beautiful it is for the soul in the midst of nature,” I thanked God. He looked around: in the distance, the night fog was still covering everything, and a strip of the river glittered nearby. On a hillock Father Xenophon kneels and prays to God. And my other companion went down to the water, washing his linen. And how dirty and ragged we were - much worse than beggars! We gladly washed ourselves in the river water, washed everything from ourselves, and laid it out to dry on the grass. The sun has risen and caresses us with its hot rays. “The day will come, then we’ll go to the city to look for the police there,” we think, “and for now everyone is sleeping, let’s pray to God.” And suddenly we hear: “Boom, boom!” - the sound of a bell floats along the river.

– Somewhere near the temple! Let's go there, because we have been without Holy Communion for so long!

It's dawn. We saw the village, and among it a small temple. Our joy was indescribable! One of us turned out to have three rubles. We gave them for candles and for confession, we didn’t have a penny more. But we rejoiced: “We are with God, we are in the church!”. We defended mass, took communion, approached the cross. They paid attention to us. As everyone began to leave, they surrounded us, asking questions. There were a lot of people, because it was a big holiday. We were invited to the table, they began to treat us, they gave us pies, fruits with us ... We ate melons and cried with joy and tenderness: everyone around us was so affectionate, friendly. They encouraged us, they found out that we were exiles, and they took pity on us, everything was so touching...

Then we were taken to the authorities - to the local police. Upon learning that the priests were with me, everyone in the offices asked for blessings, folding their hands and kissing us. Instead of passports, we were given certificates, according to which we had to live in the vicinity of Pavlovsk and go to the office to check in. One of us was so weak and frail that he was told: “Well, you are not capable of any work, you can barely stand on your feet. Go to church, to the priests…”. This priest returned to the temple to help there, but he soon died, he was already martyred. And Father Xenophon went with me to the city, where we began to look for work.

I was hired as a worker at a quarry to crush stone for construction with a machine. The work is hard, but I used to fulfill two norms. The salary was more than a hundred rubles, so it became possible to live. I dressed decently, paid twenty rubles per corner to the old men with whom I lodged. I lived with them like a son, I helped them with everything about the household: I covered the roof, and dug a well, and planted the house around with lilacs. It was impossible to drink water from the well - there was only one salt, they drank the Ishim river water. And in the city, water was released on coupons. An order came for everyone to receive plots of land and have their own household plots, moreover, not less than three hectares (three thousand square meters). Huge field! I cultivated it, sowed wheat, watermelons, melons. My old grandchildren appeared in the city, so my owners thought to get a cow. I didn't mind. We went to the market. The Kirghiz sold the cow cheaply, muttered in his own way, cursed her: he eats, they say, a lot, but almost completely stopped giving milk. I looked - the sides of the cow are large, not skinny, well, they bought it. They brought us, put us in a barn, but didn’t sleep at night – our cattle made noise. The hostess could hardly wait for dawn (well, where in the dark to go to the barn!). He opens the barn in the morning, and there two calves jump around the cow. So God blessed our family, they immediately began to eat milk and meat. That is why the cow did not give milk to the Kirghiz - she did not have long before calving. We thanked God, began to live and live and help others.”

In 1956, Father Pavel Gruzdev was rehabilitated, that is, found not guilty of anything. Thus passed eighteen years of his life in prisons and exile. He did not forget the Lord, prayed and did not lose heart, but helped people as much as he could. The old hosts with whom he lived in Kazakhstan loved Pavel like a son. When Father Pavel wanted to return to his homeland in the Yaroslavl region, the old people did not let him go, they did not even want to hear about his departure. Father Pavel spoke about his escape as follows: “I asked the old masters to go to visit relatives whom I had not seen for many years. I did not take any things with me, I went light, so the old people believed me. So they kept all my belongings, because I never returned to Kazakhstan. The proverb is true: where one was born, there one came in handy. Native lands, the lovely nature of forests - all this was close to my heart, and I settled in the vicinity of the Tolga Monastery.

In the 1960s it was difficult to find a person who knew the church service well. And since Father Pavel was a monk - he could read, sing, and perform sex in church - he did not remain without work in his homeland. The local bishop soon ordained Fr. Pavel to the priesthood and gave a parish. And Father Pavel served in the Yaroslavl region for about forty years! A simple, sympathetic, reverent priest - he was loved and respected by his flock. The rumor about him went far, the people began to revere Father Paul as an elder of a holy life. People from many cities reached out to him, seeking advice, consolation and guidance in the faith.

In the 1980s, Batiushka had an eyeache and came to Moscow for treatment. He stayed with his spiritual children, at whose apartment I heard from Father Pavel the stories about his life given here. May they serve as a reinforcement of faith, as an example of the Lord's care for the Russian people. In those difficult years, when faith in God seemed to have faded, love among people grew cold, the Lord protected in remote lands, amid hardships, labors and trials, the pure soul of His servant Paul. And the Lord helped (long before the “perestroika”) to shine in the soul of this simple priest as a clear guiding star for the Russian people, weary of unbelief and suffering.

Published according to the book by N.N. Sokolov. "Under the roof of the Most High." M., 2007.

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