Prayer assistance to the Church of the Great Patriotic War. The role of the Russian Orthodox Church in World War II

Saint Nicholas of Myra, the Wonderworker Prayer O, all-validated and all-honorable bishop, great miracle worker, saint of Christ, Father Nicholas, man of God, and faithful servant, husband of desires, chosen vessel, strong pillar of the church, bright lamp, star

Akathist to Saint and Wonderworker Nicholas Kontakion 1 Chosen Wonderworker and a great servant of Christ, exuding to the world a valuable myrrh of mercy and an inexhaustible sea of ​​miracles, I praise you with love, Saint Nicholas: you, as you have boldness towards the Lord, from all my troubles

Troparion and prayers to St. Nicholas Troparion, tone 4 The rule of faith and the image of meekness, self-control teacher show you to your flock, even the truth of things: for this reason you have acquired high humility, rich in poverty, Father Hierarch Nicholas, pray to Christ God for the salvation of souls

“We all prayed to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker” I had two stories connected with St. Nicholas. The first was when my husband and I were late for the train. We were traveling from Dzerzhinsky to Moscow on a train to Belarus. We left in an hour and a half. In the normal course of events everything would be

Akathist to the Saint and Wonderworker Nicholas Kontakion 1 Chosen Wonderworker and great servant of Christ, exuding to the world a valuable myrrh of mercy and an inexhaustible sea of ​​miracles, I praise you with love, Saint Nicholas; But you, because you have boldness towards the Lord, from all troubles

The rule of faith and the image of meekness, self-control, the teacher, show you to your flock as things are true; For this reason, you have gained high humility, rich in poverty, Father Hierarch Nicholas, pray to Christ God to save our souls.

Kontakion, tone 3

In Mireh, the holy one, you appeared as a priest: For Christ’s sake, O Reverend, having fulfilled the Gospel, you laid down your soul for your people, and you saved the innocent from death; For this reason you have been sanctified, as the great hidden place of God’s grace.

AKATHIST

Kontakion 1

Chosen Miracle-worker and a great servant of Christ, exuding to the whole world a valuable myrrh of mercy, and an inexhaustible sea of ​​miracles, I praise you with love, Saint Nicholas: you, as if you have boldness towards the Lord, free me from all troubles, and I call you:

Ikos 1

Reveal to you the Creator of all creation in the form of an angel, an earthly being; Having foreseen the fruitful kindness of your soul, blessed Nicholas, teach everyone to cry out to you:

Rejoice, purified from the womb of motherhood

Rejoice, even you who are completely sanctified.

Rejoice, surprising your parents with your birth;

Rejoice, you who revealed the strength of your soul at Christmas.

Rejoice, garden of the land of promise;

Rejoice, flower of the Divine planting.

Rejoice, virtuous vine of Christ's grapes;

Rejoice, miraculous tree of Jesus' paradise.

Rejoice, vegetation of paradise;

Rejoice, myrrh of Christ's fragrance.

Rejoice, for by you weeping will be driven away;

Rejoice, for you bring joy.

Rejoice, Nicholas, great Wonderworker.

Kontakion 2

Seeing your outpouring of peace, O God-Wise One, we are enlightened in our souls and bodies, your wondrous myrrh-bearing life-bearer, Nicholas, understanding: miracles are like waters pouring out with the grace of God, you faithfully cry out to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 2

The unreasonable mind admonishes about Holy Trinity, you were in Nicaea with the holy fathers, a champion of the confession of the Orthodox faith: likewise you confessed the Son to the Father, co-essential and co-throne, and you denounced the madman Arius. For this sake, for the sake of faithfulness, I have learned to sing to you:

Rejoice, great pillar of piety;

Rejoice, faithful refuge of the city.

Rejoice, solid strengthening of Orthodoxy;

Rejoice, the honorable One of the Most Holy Trinity was also praised.

Rejoice, Father, who preached the Son with equal honor;

Rejoice, you drove away Aria, who was enraged from the Council of Saints.

Rejoice, father, glorious beauty of the fathers;

Rejoice, wise kindness to all the God-wise.

Rejoice, you emitting fiery words;

Rejoice, teach your flock well.

Rejoice, for through you faith is confirmed;

Rejoice, for through you the heresy is being overthrown.

Rejoice, Nicholas, great Wonderworker.

Kontakion 3

By the power given to you from above, you took away every tear from the faces of those who were sorely suffering, God-bearing Father Nicholas: for you appeared to the hungry as a nourisher, to those in the depths of the seas as a great ruler, to those who were sick, healing, and you appeared to everyone as every helper, crying out to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 3

Having truly, Father Nicholas, a song will be sung to you from heaven, and not from earth: how can anyone from man be able to preach your holy greatness; but we, overcome by your love, cry out to you:

Rejoice in the image of lambs and shepherds;

Rejoice, holy purifier of morals.

Rejoice, repository of great virtues;

Rejoice, holy and pure dwelling.

Rejoice, all-bright and all-loving lamp;

Rejoice, golden and immaculate light.

Rejoice, worthy interlocutor of angels;

rejoice, kind people mentor.

Rejoice, rule of pious faith;

Rejoice, image of spiritual meekness.

Rejoice, for through you we are delivered from bodily passions;

Rejoice, for through you we are filled with spiritual sweets.

Rejoice, Nicholas, great Wonderworker.

Kontakion 4

A storm of bewilderment confuses my mind, how worthy it is to sing your miracles, blessed Nicholas; No one can cut me off, even if I had many tongues and wanted to speak; but we marvelously dare to sing to God, who is glorified in you: Alleluia.

Ikos 4

Hearing, God-wise Nicholas, those near and far, the greatness of your miracles, as if through the air with light grace-filled wings you were accustomed to anticipate those in troubles, quickly delivering from them all who cry out to you like this:

Rejoice, deliverance from sorrow;

Rejoice, bestower of grace.

Rejoice, banisher of unforeseen evils;

Rejoice, wishing good things to the planter.

Rejoice, speedy consoler of those in trouble;

Rejoice, terrible punisher of those who offend.

Rejoice, abyss of miracles, poured out by God;

Rejoice, the law of Christ is the tablet written by God.

Rejoice, strong erection of those who fall;

Rejoice, rightful affirmation.

Rejoice, for by you all flattery is laid bare;

Rejoice, for through you all truth comes true.

Rejoice, Nicholas, great Wonderworker.

Kontakion 5

The God-bearing star appeared, instructing those floating on the sea, whose death was soon approaching sometimes, if only you had not appeared to those calling you for help, Wonderworker Saint Nicholas; You are already unashamed of the flying demon, and forbidding those who wanted to load ships, you drove them away, but you taught the faithful to cry out to the God who saves you: Alleluia.

Ikos 5

Seeing the young women, prepared for a bad marriage for the sake of poverty, your great mercy for the poor, blessed Father Nicholas, when you gave the bundles of three hidden gold to their elder father at night, saving him and his daughters from the fall of sin. For this reason you hear from everyone:

Rejoice, great treasure of mercy;

Rejoice, friend of industry for people.

Rejoice, food and joy for those who come running to you;

Rejoice, uneaten bread of the hungry.

Rejoice, God-given wealth to the poor living on earth;

Rejoice, speedy exaltation of the poor.

Rejoice, quick hearing of the poor;

Rejoice, pleasant care for those who mourn.

Rejoice, three virgins, immaculate bride;

a zealous guardian of purity.

Rejoice, unreliable hope;

Rejoice, joy of the whole world.

Rejoice, Nicholas, great Wonderworker.

Kontakion 6

The whole world preaches to you, blessed Nicholas, a quick intercessor in troubles: as many times in one hour, traveling on earth and sailing on the sea, anticipating, helping, preserving everyone from the evil ones, crying out to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 6

Thou didst shine as an animal light, bringing deliverance to the commanders who accepted unjust death for those who had it, to you, good shepherd Nicholas, who called, when you soon appeared in the princess’s dream, you frightened him, and you commanded to release these unharmed ones. For this reason, we are happy with them and we cry out to you in gratitude:

Rejoice, help those who earnestly call upon you;

Rejoice, deliverer from unrighteous murder.

Rejoice, keep from flattering slander;

Rejoice, destroy the unrighteous councils.

Rejoice, tear apart lies like a spider;

Rejoice, gloriously exalting the truth.

Rejoice, release from bonds of the innocent;

Rejoice, and revival of the dead.

Rejoice, demonstrater of truth;

Rejoice, darker of untruth.

Rejoice, for through your insubordination you have been delivered from the sword;

Rejoice, for I have enjoyed the light of you.

Rejoice, Nicholas, great Wonderworker.

Kontakion 7

Although the blasphemous heretical stench was driven away, the truly fragrant, mysterious myrrh appeared to you, Nicholas; the people of the world were saved, and you filled the whole world with your blessed peace. And drive away from us the godless, sinful stench, so that we may cry out pleasingly to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 7

We mean the new Noah, the mentor of the ark of salvation, Holy Father Nicholas, who disperses the storm of all fierce ones with his direction, but brings divine silence to those crying out like this:

Rejoice, you who are overwhelmed by a quiet refuge;

Rejoice, drowning famous repository.

Rejoice, good pilot of those floating in the midst of the depths;

Rejoice, calmer of the sea.

Rejoice, transport of those who are in whirlwinds;

Rejoice, warming of those who are in the filth.

Rejoice, radiance that disperses the sorrowful darkness;

Rejoice, luminary, illuminating all the ends of the earth.

Rejoice, you deliver sinful people from the abyss;

Rejoice, cast Satan into the abyss of hell.

Rejoice, for through you we boldly invoke the abyss of God’s mercy;

Rejoice, for by you having been delivered from the flood of wrath, we find peace with God.

Rejoice, Nicholas, great Wonderworker.

Kontakion 8

A strange miracle is flowing to you, Blessed Nicholas, your sacred church: in it even small prayers bring, healing of great ailments is acceptable, if only according to God we place our hope in you, truly crying out: Alleluia.

Ikos 8

You are truly a helper to everyone, God-bearing Nicholas, and you have gathered together all those who come running to you, as a liberator, a nourisher and a quick doctor to all on earth, striving for the praise of all, cry out to you:

Rejoice, source of all healings;

Rejoice, dear helper to the suffering.

Rejoice, dawn, shining in the night of sin for those who wander;

Rejoice, dew that does not flow in the heat of the work of beings.

Rejoice, give well-being to those who need it;

Rejoice, prepare abundance for those who ask.

Rejoice, you have preceded the petition many times;

Rejoice, renew the strength of old gray hairs.

Rejoice, many errors from the path of the true accuser;

Rejoice, faithful servant of the mysteries of God.

Rejoice, for through you we trample on envy;

Rejoice, for through you we correct a good life.

Rejoice, Nicholas, great Wonderworker.

Kontakion 9

Alleviate all illnesses, our great intercessor Nicholas: dissolving grace-filled healing, delighting our souls, and cheering the hearts of all who zealously flow to your help, crying out to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 9

We see the wise branches of the wicked put to shame by you, God-wise Father Nicholas: Aria for the blasphemer, dividing the Divinity, and Sabellia, confusing the Holy Trinity, has changed, but you have strengthened us in Orthodoxy. For this reason we cry out to you:

rejoice, shield, defend piety;

Rejoice, sword, cut off evil.

Rejoice, teacher of Divine commandments;

Rejoice, destroyer of ungodly teachings.

Rejoice, ladder established by God, by which we ascend to heaven;

Rejoice, protection created by God, with which many are covered.

Rejoice, thou who hast made wise the foolish with thy words;

Rejoice, having inspired the morals of the lazy.

Rejoice, unquenchable brightness of God’s commandments;

Rejoice, bright ray of the Lord’s justifications.

Rejoice, for through your teaching the heretical heads are crushed;

Rejoice, for through your faithfulness the faithful are worthy of glory.

Rejoice, Nicholas, great Wonderworker.

Kontakion 10

You have truly saved your soul, your flesh and your spirit, Our Father Nicholas: by being silent before and struggling with thoughts and deeds, you have applied the thought of God, and through the thought of God you have acquired a perfect mind, with which you boldly conversed with God and the Angels, always crying out: Alleluia.

Ikos 10

Thou art a wall to those who praise, O blessed one, thy miracles, and to all who resort to thy intercession; Likewise, free us, the poor in virtue, from poverty, adversity, ailments and various needs, who cry out to you with love like this:

Rejoice, take away from eternal misery;

Rejoice, give us imperishable wealth.

Rejoice, undying cruelty to those who hunger for truth;

Rejoice, inexhaustible drink for those thirsty for life.

Rejoice, keep from rebellion and warfare;

Rejoice, freest from bonds and captivity.

Rejoice, glorious intercessor in troubles;

Rejoice, great protector in adversity.

Rejoice, thou who has snatched many from destruction;

Rejoice, you who preserved countless people unharmed.

Rejoice, for through you sinners escape cruel death;

Rejoice, for through you those who repent receive eternal life.

Rejoice, Nicholas, great Wonderworker.

Kontakion 11

Singing Holy Trinity Thou didst bring it more than others, O blessed Nicholas, in mind, in word and in deed: for by many trials the orthodox commands have been clarified, by faith, hope and love, instructing us in the Trinity to chant to the One God: Alleluia.

Ikos 11

A luminous ray in the darkness of life, unquenchable, we see you, Father Nicholas, chosen by God: with immaterial angelic lights you talk about the uncreated Trinity Light, but you enlighten the faithful souls, crying out to you like this:

Rejoice, illumination of the Trisolar Light;

Rejoice, day of the never-setting sun.

Rejoice, O luminary, kindled by the divine flame;

Rejoice, for you have extinguished the demonic flame of wickedness.

Rejoice, bright preaching of orthodoxy;

Rejoice, transparent light of the Gospel.

Rejoice, lightning, consuming heresies;

Rejoice, thunder, terrifying tempter.

Rejoice, true teacher of reason;

Rejoice, mysterious exponent of the mind.

Rejoice, for through you you have trampled upon the worship of creation;

Rejoice, for through you we have learned to worship the Creator in the Trinity.

Rejoice, Nicholas, great Wonderworker.

Kontakion 12

The grace given to you by God is knowledgeable, rejoicing in your memory, we celebrate according to duty, glorious Father Nicholas, and we wholeheartedly flow to your wonderful intercession; But your glorious deeds, like the sand of the sea and the multitude of the stars, cannot be exhausted, but once you are overcome by bewilderment, we cry out to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 12

Singing your miracles, we praise you, all-validated Nicholas: in you God in the Trinity, glorified, is wondrously glorified. But even if we bring you many psalms and songs composed from the heart, O miracle-working saint, we do nothing equal to the granting of your miracles, and in wonder at them, we cry out to you like this:

Rejoice, servant of the King of kings and Lord of lords;

Rejoice, cohabitants of His heavenly servants.

Rejoice, help to faithful people;

Rejoice, kind of Christian exaltation.

Rejoice, victory of the same name;

Rejoice, proud crowned one.

Rejoice, mirror of all virtues;

Rejoice, everyone who flows to you has been taken away by the strong.

Rejoice, according to God and the Mother of God, all our hope;

Rejoice, health to our bodies and salvation to our souls.

Rejoice, for through you we are freed from eternal death;

Rejoice, for through you we are worthy of endless life.

Rejoice, Nicholas, great Wonderworker.

Kontakion 13

Oh, most holy and wonderful Father Nicholas, consolation of all those who mourn, accept our present offering, and beg the Lord to deliver us from Gehenna, through your God-pleasing intercession, so that we may sing with you: Alleluia.

This kontakion is read three times, then the 1st ikos: In the image of an Angel... and the 1st kontakion: Chosen Wonderworker...

Prayer

Oh, all-holy Nicholas, exceedingly saintly servant of the Lord, our warm intercessor, and everywhere in sorrow a quick helper! Help me, a sinner and sad person in this present life, beg the Lord God to grant me forgiveness of all my sins, which I have sinned greatly from my youth, in all my life, in deed, word, thought and all my feelings; and at the end of my soul, help me the accursed, beg the Lord God, Creator of all creation, to deliver me air ordeals and eternal torment: may I always glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and your merciful intercession, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

To the beginning of the Great Patriotic War The Soviet government closed most of the country's churches and tried to eradicate Christianity, but in the souls of the Russian people the Orthodox faith was warm and supported by secret prayers and appeals to God. This is evidenced by the decayed finds that search engines encounter in our time. As a rule, the standard set of things for a Russian soldier are a party card, a Komsomol badge, and an icon hidden in a secret pocket Mother of God And pectoral cross, worn on the same chain with a personalized capsule. Rising to the attack, along with the calling cry “For the Motherland! For Stalin! the soldiers whispered “With God” and were already openly baptized. At the front, cases were passed down from mouth to mouth when people only with a miraculous God's help managed to survive. Famous aphorism, tested and confirmed over the years, was confirmed in this war: “There are no atheists in war.”

Bleeding Church

By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, a five-year plan aimed at the complete destruction of the clergy and the Orthodox faith was in full swing. Temples and churches were closed and the buildings were transferred to the local authorities. About 50 thousand clergy were sentenced to death, and hundreds of thousands were sent to hard labor.

According to the plans of the Soviet authorities, by 1943 there should have been no working churches or priests left in the Soviet Union. The sudden outbreak of war upset the plans of the atheists and distracted them from fulfilling their plans.

In the first days of the war, Moscow and Kolomna Metropolitan Sergius reacted faster than the Supreme Commander. He himself prepared a speech for the citizens of the country, typed it on a typewriter and spoke to the Soviet people with support and blessing for the fight against the enemy.

The speech included a prophetic phrase: “The Lord will grant us victory.”

Only a few days later, Stalin addressed the people for the first time with a speech, beginning his speech with the words “Brothers and sisters.”

With the outbreak of the war, the authorities had no time to engage in a propaganda program directed against the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Union of Atheists was dissolved. In cities and villages, believers began to organize gatherings and write petitions for the opening of churches. The fascist command ordered the opening of Orthodox churches in the occupied territories in order to attract the local population to their side. The Soviet authorities had no choice but to give permission for the reopening of churches.

Closed churches began to open. The clergy were rehabilitated and released from hard labor. The people were given tacit permission to visit churches. The Saratov diocese, which did not have a single parish under its control, leased the Holy Trinity Cathedral in 1942. After some time, the Church of the Holy Spirit and some other churches opened.

During the war, the Russian Orthodox Church became Stalin's adviser. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief invited the main clergy to Moscow to discuss the further development of Orthodoxy and the opening of theological academies and schools. The permission to elect the main patriarch of the country came as a complete surprise to the Russian church. On September 8, 1943, by decision of the Local Council, our Orthodox Church acquired a newly elected Head, Metropolitan Sergius of Starogorodsky.

Fathers on the front line

Some priests supported the people in the rear, instilling faith in victory, while others dressed in soldiers' greatcoats and went to the front. No one knows how many priests without a cassock and a cross, with a prayer on their lips, went to attack the enemy. In addition, they supported the spirit of Soviet soldiers by holding conversations in which the mercy of the Lord and his help in defeating the enemy were preached. According to Soviet statistics, about 40 clergy were awarded medals “For the Defense of Moscow” and “For the Defense of Leningrad.” More than 50 priests received awards for valiant work. Father-soldiers who lagged behind the army enrolled in partisan detachments and helped destroy the enemy in the occupied territories. Several dozen people received medals “Partisans of the Great Patriotic War.”

Many clergy, rehabilitated from the camps, went straight to the front line. Patriarch of All Rus' Pimen, having served time in hard labor, joined the Red Army and by the end of the war had the rank of major. Many Russian soldiers who survived this terrible war returned home and became priests. Machine gunner Konoplev became Metropolitan Alexy after the war. Boris Kramarenko, a holder of the Order of Glory, dedicated himself to God in the post-war period, going to a church near Kiev and becoming a deacon.

Archimandrite Alypiy, Viceroy Pskov-Pechersky Monastery, who took part in the battle for Berlin and received the Order of the Red Star, talks about his decision to become a priest: “In this war, I saw so much horror and nightmare that I constantly prayed to the Lord for salvation and gave him my word to become a priest, having survived this terrible war."

Archimandrite Leonid (Lobachev) was one of the first to voluntarily ask to go to the front and went through the entire war, earning the rank of sergeant major. The number of medals he received is impressive and speaks volumes about his heroic past during the war. His award list contains seven medals and the Order of the Red Star. After the victory, the clergyman dedicated his later life Russian Church. In 1948, he was sent to Jerusalem, where he was the first to lead the Russian Spiritual Mission.

Holy Bishop Surgeon

The heroic sacrifice of all oneself for the good of society and the salvation of the dying by Bishop Luke of the Russian Orthodox Church is unforgettable. After university, without yet having ecclesiastical rank, he successfully worked as a zemstvo doctor. I met the war in my third exile in Krasnoyarsk. At that time, thousands of trainloads of wounded were sent to the rear. Saint Luke performed the most difficult operations and saved many Soviet soldiers. He was appointed chief surgeon of the evacuation hospital, and he advised everyone medical workers Krasnoyarsk region.

At the end of his exile, Saint Luke received the rank of archbishop and began to head the Krasnoyarsk see. His high position did not prevent him from continuing his good work. He, as before, operated on the sick, after the operation he made rounds for the wounded and advised doctors. Along with this, he managed to write medical treatises, give lectures and speak at conferences. Wherever he was, he always wore the constant cassock and hood of a priest.

After revision and addition of “Essays” purulent surgery", in 1943 the second edition of the famous work was published. In 1944, the archbishop was transferred to the Tambov See, where he continued to treat the wounded in the hospital. After the end of the war, Saint Luke was awarded the medal “For Valiant Labor.”

In 2000, by decision Orthodox Diocese Archp Luke was canonized. On the territory of the Saratov Medical University, the construction of a church is underway, which is planned to be consecrated in the name of St. Luke.

Help the front

Clergy and Orthodox people not only fought heroically on the battlefield and treated the wounded, but also provided assistance to the Soviet Army financial assistance. The priests collected funds for the needs of the front and bought the necessary weapons and equipment. On March 7, 1944, forty T-34 tanks were transferred to the 516th and 38th tank regiments. The ceremonial presentation of the equipment was led by Metropolitan Nikolai. The donated tanks were used to equip the column named after. Dmitry Donskoy. Stalin himself declared gratitude to the clergy and Orthodox people from the Red Army.

Having united with the people, our Orthodox Church held divine liturgies in honor of the fallen heroes and prayed for the salvation of Russian soldiers. After the service, meetings were held in churches with Christians, and it was discussed who and how the Russian Church and civilians could help. Using the collected donations, the clergy helped orphans left without parents and families who had lost their breadwinners, sending parcels with necessary things to the front.

Parishioners from Saratov were able to raise funds that were enough to build six Alexander Nevsky aircraft. During the first three years of the war, the Moscow diocese collected and donated donations worth 12 million rubles to the needs of the front.

During the Great Patriotic War, for the first time in their reign, the authorities allowed the Russian church to hold a religious procession. For the holiday Great Easter in all major cities, Orthodox people gathered together and accomplished great things Procession of the Cross. IN Easter message, written by Metropolitan Sergius, were the following words:

“It is not the swastika, but the Cross that is called to lead our Christian culture, our Christian living."

Request to commit procession was submitted to Marshal Zhukov by the Leningrad Metropolitan Alexy (Simansky). There were fierce battles near Leningrad, and there was a threat of the city being captured by the Nazis. By a wonderful coincidence, the day of Great Easter, April 5, 1942, coincided with the 700th anniversary of the defeat of the German knights in the Battle of the Ice. The battle was led by Alexander Nevsky, who was later canonized and considered the patron saint of Leningrad. After the religious procession, a miracle truly happened. Part of the tank divisions of the North group, on Hitler's orders, was transferred to help the Center group for an attack on Moscow. Residents of Leningrad found themselves in a blockade, but the enemy did not penetrate the city.

The hungry days of the siege in Leningrad were not in vain for both civilians and the clergy. Along with ordinary Leningraders, clergy died of hunger. Eight clerics Vladimir Cathedral could not survive the terrible winter of 1941-1942. The regent of St. Nicholas Church died during the service. Metropolitan Alexy spent the entire blockade in Leningrad, but his cell attendant, monk Evlogy, died of starvation.

Some churches in the city that had basements set up bomb shelters. The Alexander Nevsky Lavra donated part of the premises for a hospital. Despite the difficult times of famine, divine liturgies were held in churches every day. The clergy and parishioners prayed for the salvation of soldiers who were shedding blood in fierce battles, remembered the untimely departed soldiers, and asked the Almighty to be merciful and grant victory over the Nazis. They remembered the prayer service of 1812 “during the invasion of adversaries,” and included it in the service every day. Some of the services were attended by the commanders of the Leningrad Front along with the Commander-in-Chief Marshal Govorov.

The behavior of the Leningrad clergy and believers became a truly civil feat. The flock and priests united and together steadfastly endured hardships and hardships. There were ten active parishes in the city and northern suburbs. On June 23, churches announced the start of collecting donations for the needs of the front. All funds in reserve were given away from the temples. Expenses for maintaining churches were reduced to a minimum. Divine services were held at those moments when there were no bombings in the city, but regardless of the circumstances, they were held daily.

Quiet Prayer Book

The quiet prayer of St. Seraphim Vyritsky during the days of the war did not stop for a minute. From the first days, the elder prophesied victory over the Nazis. He prayed to the Lord for the salvation of our country from the invaders day and night, in his cell and in the garden on a stone, placing in front of him the image of Seraphim of Sarov. Indulging in prayer, he spent many hours asking the Almighty to see the suffering of the Russian people and save the country from the enemy. And the miracle happened! Although not quickly, four painful years of war passed, but the Lord heard quiet pleas for help and sent mercy, granting victory.

How many human souls were saved thanks to the prayers of the unforgettable elder. He was the connecting thread between Russian Christians and heaven. The prayers of the saint changed the outcome of many important events. At the beginning of the war, Seraphim predicted that the inhabitants of Vyritsa would escape the troubles of the war. And in fact, not a single person from the village was injured; all the houses remained intact. Many old-timers remember an amazing incident that happened during the war, thanks to which the Church of the Kazan Icon Holy Mother of God, located in Vyritsa, remained unharmed.

In September 1941, German troops intensively shelled the Vyritsa station. The Soviet command decided that for the correct targeting the Nazis would use the high dome of the church and decided to blow it up. A demolition team led by a lieutenant went to the village. Approaching the temple building, the lieutenant ordered the soldiers to wait, and he himself went into the building for a familiarization inspection of the facility. After some time, a shot was heard from the church. When the soldiers entered the temple, they found the lifeless body of an officer and a revolver lying nearby. The soldiers left the village in panic, the retreat soon began, and by the Providence of God the church remained intact.

Before taking holy orders, Hieromonk Seraphim was a famous merchant in St. Petersburg. Having taken monastic vows, he became the head of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Orthodox people He revered the clergyman very much and went to him from all over the country for help, advice and blessings. When the elder moved to Vyritsa in the 30s, the flow of Christians did not decrease, and people continued to visit their confessor. In 1941 St. Seraphim was 76 years old. The reverend's health condition was not important; he could not walk on his own. In the post-war years, a new stream of visitors poured into Seraphim. During the war, many people lost contact with their loved ones and, with the help of the elder’s superpowers, wanted to find out about their whereabouts. In 2000, the Orthodox Church canonized the hieromonk.

Plan

Introduction

1. Russian Orthodox Church on the eve of World War II (1937-1941)

1.1. Bolshevik terror and the Russian Orthodox Church

1.2. Beginning of World War II. Russian Orthodox Church and Bolshevik propaganda in the near abroad.

2. Russian Orthodox Church during the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945)

2.1. The reaction of the Russian Orthodox Church to the country's entry into the great battle.

2.2. Religious policy of Nazi Germany in the occupied territories

3. Changes in the policy of the atheistic state in relation to the Russian Orthodox Church during the Second World War

3.1. The turning point in relations between the church and the Bolsheviks

3.2. ROC under His Holiness Patriarch Sergius

3.3. The period of triumph of the Red Army. Russian Orthodox Church under Patriarch Alexy I.

4. Attitude towards the Russian Orthodox Church during the apogee of Stalinism (1945-1953)

Conclusion

Applications

Bibliography

Introduction

Forever and ever, remembering the gloom

Ages that have passed once and for all,

I saw that it was not to the Mausoleum, but to your altar

The banners of the enemy regiments fell.

I. Kochubeev

Relevance of the topic:

The Russian Orthodox Church played an important role during the Great Patriotic War, supporting and helping the people to withstand this unequal battle with extermination, when it itself was subject to persecution not only by the enemy, but also by the authorities.

Nevertheless, during the Great Patriotic War, the Church addressed its parishioners with a call to defend the Motherland to the end, for the Lord will not leave the Russian people in trouble if they fiercely defend their land and fervently pray to God.

The support of the Russian Orthodox Church was significant, its power was also appreciated by the Bolsheviks, therefore, during the most intense period of the war, the atheist state suddenly changed the course of its religious policy, starting cooperation with the Russian Orthodox Church. And although it did not last long, this fact did not pass without a trace in the history of our country.

In this regard, this essay has the following objectives:

1. Consider the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church on the eve of World War II.

2. Analyze the policy of the Bolsheviks in relation to the Russian Orthodox Church during the Great Patriotic War.

3. Establish the relationship between the situation on the WWII fronts and the relationship between the Bolsheviks and the Church.

4. Draw conclusions about how the atheism of the Bolshevik system affected modern Russian society.

1. Russian Orthodox Church on the eve II World War (1937-1941)

1.1. Bolshevik terror and the Russian Orthodox Church

The results of the census signaled a colossal failure of the “Union of Militant Atheists.” For this, the union of five million people was subjected to “cleansing”. About half of its members were arrested, many were shot as enemies of the people. The authorities did not have any other reliable means of atheistic education of the population other than terror. And it fell upon the Orthodox Church in 1937 with such total coverage that it seemed to lead to the eradication of church life in the country.

At the very beginning of 1937, a campaign of mass church closures began. At a meeting on February 10, 1937 alone, the permanent commission on religious issues considered 74 cases of liquidation of religious communities and did not support the closure of churches only in 22 cases, and in just one year over 8 thousand churches were closed. And, of course, all these destructions were carried out “at the numerous requests of the working collectives” in order to “improve the layout of the city.” As a result of this devastation and devastation, about 100 churches remained in the vast expanses of the RSFSR, almost all in big cities, mainly those where foreigners were allowed. These temples were called “demonstrative”. Somewhat more, up to 3% of pre-revolutionary parishes, have survived in Ukraine. In the Kyiv diocese, which in 1917 numbered 1,710 churches, 1,435 priests, 277 deacons, 1,410 psalm-readers, 23 monasteries and 5,193 monastics, in 1939 there were only 2 parishes with 3 priests, 1 deacon and 2 psalm-readers. In Odessa, there is only one functioning church left in the cemetery.

During the years of pre-war terror mortal danger hung over the existence of the Patriarchate itself and the entire church organization. By 1939, from the Russian episcopate, in addition to the head of the Church - the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne, Metropolitan Sergius, 3 bishops remained in the departments - Metropolitan Alexy (Simansky) of Leningrad, Archbishop of Dmitrov and administrator of the Patriarchate Sergius (Voskresensky) and Archbishop of Peterhof Nikolai (Yarushevich), administrator of the Novgorod and Pskov dioceses.

1.2. The beginning of the Second World War. The Russian Orthodox Church and Bolshevik propaganda in the near abroad

On September 1, 1939, the second war began with the attack of Nazi Germany on Poland. world war. Not only in human life, but also in the life of nations, the destinies of civilizations, disasters come as a result of sins. The unparalleled persecution of the Church, the civil war and regicide in Russia, the racist rampage of the Nazis and the rivalry over the spheres of influence of the European and Pacific powers, the decline of morals that swept through European and American society - all this overflowed the cup of God's wrath. There were still 2 years of peaceful life left for Russia, but there was no peace within the country itself. The war of the Bolshevik government with its people and the internal party struggle of the communist elite did not stop; there was no peaceful silence on the borders of the Soviet empire. After the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and 16 days after the German attack on Poland, the Red Army crossed the Soviet-Polish border and occupied its eastern voivodeships - originally Russian and Orthodox lands: Western Belarus and Volhynia, separated from Russia by the Treaty of Riga (1921) of the Soviet government with Poland, as well as Galicia, which was separated from Rus' for centuries. June 27, 1940 Soviet government demanded that Romania, within four days, clear the territory of Bessarabia, which belonged to Russia until 1918, and Northern Bukovina, cut off from Rus' in the Middle Ages, but where the majority of the population had Russian roots. Romania was forced to submit to the ultimatum. In the summer of 1940, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which belonged to Russia before the revolution and civil war, were annexed to the Soviet Union.

The expansion of the borders of the Soviet state to the west territorially expanded the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Moscow Patriarchate received the opportunity to actually manage the dioceses of the Baltic states, Western Belarus, Western Ukraine and Moldova.

The establishment of the Soviet regime in the western regions of Ukraine and Belarus was accompanied by repressions. In Volyn and Polesie alone, 53 clergy were arrested. However, they did not destroy church life Western Rus'. Almost all parishes that survived during the years Polish occupation, were not closed and Soviet authorities. Monasteries also continued to exist; True, the number of inhabitants in them was significantly reduced; some were forcibly removed from the monasteries, others left them themselves. Land plots and other real estate were confiscated from monasteries and churches, churches were nationalized and transferred for use religious communities, civil taxes were established on “clergy.” A serious blow to the Church was the closure of the Kremenets Theological Seminary.

Bolshevik propaganda through newspapers and radio tried to discredit Orthodox clergy In the eyes of the masses, to kill faith in Christ in the hearts of people, the “Union of Militant Atheists” opened its branches in the newly annexed regions. Its chairman, E. Yaroslavsky, lashed out at parents who did not want to send their children to Soviet atheistic schools that had opened in the western regions. In Volyn and Belarus, brigades were created from hooligan teenagers and Komsomol members who caused scandals near churches during services, especially on holidays. For such atheistic activities for the celebration of Easter in 1940, the “Union of Militant Atheists” received 2.8 million rubles from the state treasury, which was not rich at that time. They were spent mainly in the western regions, because there the people openly celebrated the Resurrection of Christ and Easter services were performed in every village.

In 1939–1941 in legal forms church life preserved essentially only in the western dioceses. More than 90% of all parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church were here, monasteries operated, all dioceses were governed by bishops. In the rest of the country church organization was destroyed: in 1939 there were only 4 departments occupied by bishops, including the head of the Church, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna, about 100 parishes and not a single monastery. Mostly older women came to church, but religious life persisted even in these conditions, it simmered not only in the wild, but also in countless camps that disfigured Russia, where priest-confessors cared for the condemned and even served the liturgy on carefully covered antimensions.

In the last pre-war years, the wave of anti-church repressions subsided, partly because almost everything that could be destroyed was already destroyed, and everything that could be trampled was trampled. Apply the last blow Soviet leaders considered it premature for various reasons. There was probably one special reason: the war was raging near the borders of the Soviet Union. Despite the ostentatious peacefulness of their declarations and assurances of the strength friendly relations with Germany, they knew that war was inevitable and were unlikely to be so blinded by their own propaganda as to create illusions about the readiness of the masses to defend communist ideals. By sacrificing themselves, people could only fight for their homeland, and then the communist leaders turned to the patriotic feelings of citizens.

2. Russian Orthodox Church during the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945)

2.1. The reaction of the Russian Orthodox Church to the country's entry into the great battle