“Greetings to you, my precious ones!” the Elder says. “God save you in His mercy for many years to come! Let me anoint you.”
The
pilgrims all stand in line. Elder Nikolai dips a straightened office
clip into a vial with the holy oil and anoints each who approaches him,
making the sign of the cross on their forehead.
Then he once again addresses those gathered:
“God
bless your souls! Our existence here is but brief. After this follows
eternal life. And in the eternal life – the terrible Gehenna fire of
hell for the sinners, while for the righteous — beatitude. So you, my
precious ones, should make use of all necessary in this life to acquire
beatitude in the eternal life.
Rejoice in that
at christening you received a pendant cross. We carry this cross all our
lives. Lord! Grant us all the Truth and help us never to stray from it,
for we “Bow before Your Cross, Lord, and praise Your Holy
Resurrection”. We rejoice that through Your resurrection You granted us
eternal life.
How fortunate and blessed we are
that we have Faith in the Lord! Let us have Faith and rejoice. Oh, Lord,
do not deprive us of that beatitude, that is granted the righteous in
eternal life!”
The pilgrims cannot leave the
Elder: they shower upon him an endless stream of questions, request his
prayers, ask him to inform them of the Lord’s will regarding them and
their near and dear ones. Some are suffering grief and personal troubles
in life, and they are desperate for help and advice. Some need
spiritual guidance. There are also those who cannot fully understand
themselves.
And all receive from Elder Nikolai efficacious help. The Elder’s prayer possesses tremendous force and reaches the Heavens.
Finally, all the afflicted have received help and guidance from the Elder, and he bids the pilgrims farewell:
«May the Lord’s mercy be upon you for many years to come. I request Holy prayers… and may all of you pray for me, a sinner.”
The
short of stature, thin Elder bowed to the pilgrims and made his way to
his cell – a small one-storey wooden cottage, painted green.
Pensioner Zinaida Maximova, recalls that Elder Nikolai’s prayers helped her become cured of cancer:
Zinaida
says that in 1988 she came to Father Nikolai for his blessing before
going in for surgery. After praying, he told her there were two ways
left for her: one led into the ground, the other – to Church. The choice
was hers. Zinaida, who was not yet prepared to make leave of this life,
chose the church. Elder Nikolai instructed her to take a certain vow,
what kind, it was known only to herself, the Elder and God. Zinaida went
to confession, took the sacrament, and received from the Elder the
following instructions:
“Go to the hospital
and say that you have decided against surgery, that you are cured
already. The medics shall grow angry, they will shout at you. But you
must cast down-to-earth bows before them. They will think you are out of
your mind. But you must insist that they do all your tests all over
again.”
Zinaida did as the Elder had
instructed her. When the tests were ready, it transpired that Zinaida’s
cancer was gone. To this day she is fine.
“And
how he cured my mother!” says Zinaida Maximova, and narrates how she
once brought her gravely-ill mother, prostrate on a cart to the Elder,
while on the journey back the woman was able to walk by herself,
unaided.
Several years later, during Lent,
mother fell ill and was near death. All the relatives and friends came
to bid her farewell, and Zinaida was reflecting on the funeral
arrangements… However, Father Nikolai told her that her mother would not
die, and would be baking pies for her yet. However, she needed to take
the holy communion four times and receive extreme unction three times.
After that, once her mother was on the road to recovery, she ought to be
made to eat, no matter how she might resist.”
Zinaida followed the Elder’s instructions and her mother recovered, to live another eight years.
Vasiliy
Zanoza, parishioner of the Church of St.Nikolas the Miracle-Maker,
where Elder Nicolai served, recalls that when he first met Elder
Nikolai, he was amazed that the clergyman spoke to him in fluent
Ukrainian. (Vasiliy Zanoza’s native tongue is Ukrainian). Later, the
more he observed Father Nikolai, the more he was convinced that he was
blessed by the Lord’s grace. According to Vasiliy, he resembled the
first Apostles of Christ he read about in Christian literature. There
seemed to be no mysteries or secrets for him in the world.
Vasiliy
Zanoza says that once an acquaintance of his brought over to Elder
Nikolai a writer who wanted to converse with him. This man had
meticulously prepared for their encounter, and written down all his
questions to the Elder on a sheet of paper. When the moment of their
meeting dawned, the writer couldn’t find this paper. However, Elder
Nikolai, without waiting for the results of this search, started talking
to him, touching upon the exact topics that the writer had marked for
himself. The latter sat there, listening, stupefied to discover the
Elder had actually answered all of his questions. On the way back on the
steamboat, the writer discovered his paper, and was further amazed to
see that the Elder had answered the questions in the exact order in
which they were written down!
Father Nikolai
was born on May 24th 1909 in a village outside the town of Gdov, in the
north-west of Russia. His father was a precentor, and since childhood
Nikolai attended church. He served at the altar. His spiritual Father
was Metropolitan Veniamin (of Kazan), who has been consecrated as a New
Russian Martyr and Saint. In actual fact the latter took the place of
Nikolai’s father, who died when the boy was five years old.
Serving
Metropolitan Veniamin at the altar, the boy acquired priceless
spiritual experience. Once, he heard the following words from the
Metropolitan: “How fortunate you are, to be with God…” and received as a
gift the bishopric cross, which he proceeded to treasure all his life
as a holy relic.
Father Nikolai’s spiritual children wrote down his narrative about his childhood:
“In
childhood everyone called me “the monk”. And I was only too glad of
that. Because I was, indeed, like a monk, knowing and seeking nothing
but the Lord… I had my own cell at home, which nobody called a room, but
a cell. There were icons there, spiritual books and prayer books, large
portraits of the Czar’s family.
Once, when
the Bolsheviks were already on the rampage, a shell flew into my window
and landed right near the portraits of the Royal family, but did not
explode. That is how the Royal Martyrs guarded me ever since my
childhood. And how I loved them! I felt my heart miss a beat whenever I
thought of them!..”
At this point we would like to interrupt Elder Nikolai’s narrative and tell you one important fact from his life.
There
exist testimonies that the Lord bestowed a vision on him at the age of
nine, the vision that showed him just how the Royal Martyrs died.
On
the night of July 17th 1918 he saw in his vision the cellar of merchant
Ipatiev’s house, and everything that took place there, all the details
of how the Bolsheviks executed the Czar and his family. In the morning
he dashed to his mother with the words: “Mother! Mother! The Czar has
been killed! They have all been killed! And the Czarevich, too! The Lord
shall punish them terribly for this crime against the Czar and his
family!”
The shock from this revelation was
invariably to sow even greater reverence in the young boy’s heart for
the Royal Martyrs, and a penitent feeling towards them that he carried
all of his life…
“All the time I thought of
the Lord, mentally conversed with Him,” Elder Nikolai recalled. “The
village, where I was born, was predominantly populated by Estonians.
Well, when still a boy I would gather all my Estonian friends – Luzzie,
Magda, Salma, Edward — and say to them: “Let us make a procession of the
cross!” So we would take the icons and make a procession. I walked on
ahead and sang in Estonian: “God bless my soul!”… And when I was left
all alone, I would secretly make my way into the bathhouse, taking along
a pillow throw, and covering my shoulders with it began to serve the
Liturgy. I even made a censer. I wept, praising the Lord. I always loved
the evening prayer, because at night the heavens open up and the Angels
hark our prayers…
Since childhood I liked
going to the cemetery. I reflected on death and the future Last
Judgment. I prayed and wept for the deceased.
Besides
his spiritual Father Metropolitan Veniamin, his mother Ekaterina
Guryanova had a tremendous impact on Nikolai since childhood. She taught
him prayers and a mode of behavior as if he were constantly before the
Lord’s eyes. As a child he often asked his mother in this or that
connection: «Mother, this isn’t sinful, is it? Is this pleasing to God.
Is this godly?”
Those who ever communicated
with her referred to Ekaterina Guryanova as a ‘angel-like person’. After
her husband’s early demise, she brought up four sons of which Nikolai
was the youngest. Three elder brothers of Father Nikolai died at the
front in World War Two. He himself never parted with his mother right up
until her death. He loved her dearly and recalled her thus:
“My
mother was blessed, did not like conversation, kept silent most of the
time, and mentally conversed only with God. She never parted with the
Gospel, was deeply religious, and loved church singing.”
Nun Rafaila, an aide to Father Nikolai, recalled what he once narrated to her:
“In
early youth, when I was setting out to meet up with my friends one
evening, I saw near the wheat grain barn our Lord Jesus Christ seated
there… And He said to me: “Never go to revel with the rest!”
Nun
Rafaila insisted that Elder Nikolai was chosen by God since his early
years. Ever since then he loved the Cross of Christ, and shared this
love, as a holy relic, with friends. And in reply to the question: “How
to live to achieve salvation?” the Elder often answered in the words of
the troparion: “We bow before Your Cross, Lord, and praise your Holy
Resurrection.”
After finishing school Nikolai
Guryanov entered the pedagogical training college in Gatchina, a suburb
of Leningrad (presently St.Petersburg), which he graduated from in 1926.
He continued his education at Leningrad pedagogical institute. However,
he only studied there for one year, and this is the reason why: once he
saw how they were tearing down a church in the town, and dared raise
his voice against this in indignation:
“What
are you doing? This is a church! A holy place! If you have no respect
for it as a holy site, at least respect it as a monument of history and
culture! Reflect on the Lord’s punishment, which shall certainly be
forthcoming!”
This happened in 1929, when a
rabid fight was waged in the USSR, on state-level, against what was
dubbed “religious propaganda”. Nikolai Guryanov had to pay a dear price
for his daring declaration: he was expelled from the institute.
After
that he taught mathematics, physics and biology at a village school,
served as psalmist at a village church in honor of St. Nikolas the
Miracle-Maker.
As a school teacher, he told
his pupils about God and the death of the Royal Martyrs, for which in
1934 he was arrested. And his ordeals began…
Initially,
he did time in several prisons, and then found himself in a camp in the
autonomous republic of Komi, in the North-West of the country, in a
region bordering on the Polar Circle. Father Nikolai shared memories of
the ordeals he experienced there with only those people who were closest
to him. Thanks to these people, who wrote down a part of his
narratives, we can now offer you a brief excerpt from his recollections:
“People at the time disappeared and perished
just like that. Whenever we parted, we never knew for certain if we
would see each other again. My dear spiritual friends! The roads of my
life led me to encounter many blessed friends… Yet, that has all come to
pass… I wept long for them, those most dear to me, but then I had no
more tears left… I could but shout inside me in mute agony…
People
were taken away at night after denunciations were made against them,
and all this was shrouded in uncertainty… Like a web fear held everyone
in its sticky meshes… If not for the help of God, man would not have
been able to survive this…
So many men of the
church were destroyed, devout bishops who knew the essence of the Cross
and went to the Cross with humility… How they wept that the people had
not saved the Czar!
You would be wading
through the snow… and mustn’t stop or fall… And there are shackles on
your feet. Discarded corpses of dead inmates would be lying all around,
unburied, until spring. Later one common grave was dug for them. Among
the corpses there would also be people who were still alive, but lacked
the strength to get up. They stretched their hands out, pleading:
“Bread! Give us bread!” … But there was no bread!..”
It
broke Father Nikolai’s heart to recall the human suffering he witnessed
there. After these accounts he would always weep, then fall silent at
length, and pray fervently. His prayers were for all those who had
suffered and perished in the camps and prisons. To the end of his days
the Elder carried in his eyes this silent mourning
He,
too, had to endure terrible sufferings in the camp. On several
occasions he came close to death. Thus, once, he was crushed by a
trolley, on another occasion a heavy rail section was dropped on his
feet, injuring them severely. From then on, according to Father Nikolai,
his legs could barely support him. And the most terrible ordeal was
lengthy standing in icy water in winter. This was just one in an arsenal
of tortures invented by the camp authorities. Only Elder Nikolai was
able to withstand this torture, who read God’s prayers as he stood in
the water. According to him, the prayer warmed him, making him oblivious
to the cold. All the others who had been subjected to this torture
died.
Meanwhile, Father Nikolai seemed to have
been hardened, and said: “I like the cold and am quite impervious to
it”. Further proof of this is borne out in the way Father Nikolai was
always dressed lightly, even in bitter winter frosts.
In
memory of all those who died in camp, Father Nikolai wrote a poem,
entitled: “In the 30’s of the 20th century”. This is a Requiem in verse,
which he also provided with the heading “Autobiography”. It has the
words addressed to the Holy Virgin:
“I beg, Holy Virgin,
In carrying my cross,
For the honor of the Lord’s Church
Save me, please!”
We
should like to draw your attention to the fact the Elder is not
requesting salvation for his own sake, but for the honor of God’s
Church. And, indeed, that is how it was: Father Nikolai was saved and
spent his entire life of a zealot honoring the Holy Church.
Father
Nikolai was released in 1942, in the very midst of the Great Patriotic
war against Nazi Germany. That same year he was ordained as a clergyman.
He served in the Baltics, in parishes of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
And in 1956 he was appointed Father Superior to the Church of
St.Nicholas the Miracle-Maker on the Isle of Zalit, where he served to
the end of his life.
The Isle of Zalit,
chiefly inhabited by fishermen, during the war was an occupation zone,
and was totally razed to the ground by the fascists. Father Nikolai made
gigantic efforts to bring it back to life. He traveled to various parts
of the country to seek out tree saplings and bushes to replant them on
the Isle. He managed to involve the entire population in this effort to
bring greenery to the Isle.
Now, the luxurious
chestnut trees, lime trees, blossoming jasmine, apple trees and other
fruit trees are all a living tribute to the memory of Father Nikolai.
Under
Father Nikolai’s influence the Isle changed not only in appearance. The
Elder did much to improve the morals and spiritual life of its
inhabitants, drawing them into the realm of the Church.
With all his might the Elder fought to stamp out an evil that local fishermen were prone too – drunkenness.
Father
Nikolai’s own life served as a shining example to other people,
teaching them love, mutual respect, humility, meekness. He loved God,
and thus loved all people, without exception, with all their passions
and failings.
Here is what the pilgrims said about their encounters with the Elder.
Hieroschemamonk
Ioann says that Father Nikolai displayed truly Fatherly love towards
people. When communicating with him, all things of the flesh grew silent
within a person. All spiritual impurities disappeared somewhere. There
arose the feeling that you were standing before Truth itself. Elder
Nikolai was a kind of ‘spiritual x-ray’. It seemed as if he could see
inside of one, and knew all there was to know in this world. In his
presence everyone felt like they were children again. Hieroschemamonk
Ioann says he saw many people arriving to see Father Nikolai. They made
their way to him looking despondent, some – arguing with one another.
However, after conversing with the Elder they seemed enlightened,
radiant! Some had tears in their eyes. The venerable Elder possessed the
ability to revive one and all who turned to him in need.
“I
marvel at his remarkable sagacity,” said Archimandrite Rafail.
“Wondrous is the purity of his soul, heart and mind. This was a very
great saint.”
Vyacheslav Astakhov says that he
and his three friends also went to see father Nikolai. The moment they
entered the Elder’s cell, he pointed to the icon of the Judgment Day,
Vyacheslav Astakhov says. Pointed to the Kingdom of Heaven, and then to
Hell, saying: “God preserve us to be admitted this eternity.” And then,
turning to the icon of the Holy Virgin, he prayed fervently. And after
that prayer all wept as one – such grace had descended upon them. He
predicted to one girl among them: “You shall be a nun”. And even
mentioned her future name, adding that she, however, first needed to
finish her medical education. As it was, the girl had not even thought
of becoming a nun. Later he told her in what Convent her sister, a nun,
was serving the Lord, and spoke her sister’s name. Hearing this,
Vyacheslav exclaimed: “Father Nikolai! I, too, want to be a monk!” While
the Elder responded: “And for you – the road leads to the village, to
the woods.”
Pilgrim Tatiana Ilyina says that
visiting Father Nikolai gave her a strange sensation of being outside or
beyond reality: sounds had disappeared somewhere, and all around seemed
shunted to the background. All attention was on the Elder. It was so
calm and soothing in his presence there was never a single doubt in
anything he said. Everyone knew: whatever he said always came true.
Pilgrim
Maria says that she was witness to a remarkable incident. A woman came
running to Father Nikolai, asking: “Is it a sin that my son was brewing
beer on the day of his birthday?” Father Nikolai instructed her to go
home quickly. The woman rushed off and just made it in time to catch the
steamboat.
Later, when the woman returned to
the Elder again, she said that upon returning home she saw her son
placing his head in a noose. She rushed to him and averted a suicide. If
she had been minutes late, all would have been over.
So that is how Father Nikolai saved a man’s life.
In our archive we have recordings made at an evening at
the International Slav Cultural Centre, in Moscow, at an evening in
tribute to Father Nikolai Guryanov. Clergyman Victor Shishkin, who spoke
at that event, said that Elder Nikolai implemented into life the behest
of the Venerable St.Serafim of Sarov, who said: “Acquire a peaceful
spirit, and around you thousands will be saved.”
Father
Nikolai always received everyone. He took upon his shoulders all the
troubles and griefs that people came to him with, and in return they all
went away with his love in their hearts
Father
Victor also said that after his demise Father Nikolai came in a vision
to one clergyman and dictated the Troparion to him, bequeathing that all
who want to seek his help ought to read it.
I
would also add that the clergyman’s name was Yevgeny. Elder Nikolai was
his Spiritual Father. Father Yevgeny was most disconsolate at being
unable to attend Father Nikolai’s funeral. He intended to visit the
grave of the Elder on the 9th day after his death, but once again – he
could not do so. That day he conducted a Liturgy at his own parish. He
returned home tired, sat down to rest, and suddenly felt a very unusual
state come over him…
Unexpectedly, he saw the
deceased Father Nikolai before him: he had come to console his spiritual
son. For several minutes he spoke to Father Yevgeny words for salvation
of the soul, and then requested him to take pen and paper and write
down the Troparion, which mentioned Father Nikolai’s deeds within his
life. It was concluded with a prayer addressed to the Elder: “Venerable
Father Nikolai, pray to the Lord for the salvation of our souls.”
Then
the vision disappeared. Father Yevgeny joyfully shared his experience
with his near and dear, and informed them of the text of the Troparion.
Now this Troparion has been embraced by a broad spectrum of Orthodox
Christians.
At the mentioned above evening at the International Slav Centre the Troparion was performed for all those gathered.
Attending the event Elder Nikolai’s lay-sister, who bears
the same name as him – Nikolaya, said of him that not a single life
narrative, recollection or chant can relay what her soul felt upon
seeing Father Nikolai in person. He was a Celestial father since
childhood. This man of God was a wondrous phenomenon on our perishing
Earth. The Savior came to him in visions more than once. Father Nikolai
often said to his lay-sister: “I saw the Savior, sensed Him like this”,
and he demonstrated how, touching her hand. Father Nikolai, she says,
never parted with Christ to the end of his days. He carried his Cross
dutifully, never trying to shoulder the burden on anyone else. He had
griefs and problems too, but he always turned to the Lord for help and
sought none else’s advice. He said: “I only seek the Lord’s help.”
Father
Nikolai had a reverence for the Cross, always kissed crosses. Often he
kissed the pendant crosses of the laymen. He knew the power of the
Cross, said nun Nikolaya.
Not long before his death, Elder Nikolai said:
“I
shall soon fly away on wings. They are both large and powerful. I shall
fly home in an instant, where I shall pray for you all.”
And
Elder Nikolai fulfils his promise. Now, when he is in the other world,
it is easier for him to help people, than it was during his life. People
continue to come to him – visiting his grave. They fall to their knees
and address the Elder with their woes, grievances and troubles, as if he
were alive. Clergymen regularly conduct funeral services at his
graveside.
By Tatiana Shvetsova
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