Biography
The higher the jumper, the more painful the life of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia is characterized by this Russian proverb. The leaving of the simple village overnight became the favorite of the king, but also quickly lost the great Sana. The name of Patriarch is connected with an event in history - the split of the Russian Orthodox Church.
In the Nizhny Novgorod Earth, in the village of Veldemanovo, on May 17, 1605, a joyful event occurred in a simple peasant family: a boy was born, who was called Nikita during baptism. From the biography of the parents of the future Patriarch, All Russia is known to little: the father of the boy minin's boy was Mariz, and his mother died at childbirth.
Nikita was brought up in a strict setting, his father was often absent at home, so the child remained in the care of the stepmother. By the way, the second wife of mines had strict and not devoid of cruelty character: a woman hated a stepper and beat the boy for the slightest guide, sometimes depriving Nikita of a piece of bread and a massacre of the sea. The father of the family, who was upset by the arbitrariness of the second wife in relation to his son, to return home often beat his spouse. However, it was worth a mine to go out for the threshold of the house, the endless humiliation of a small boy continued.
Nikita suffered the gross attitude of the adopted mother, finding consolations in the scriptures, as well as the boy pushed grandmother's love. The future minister of the Church was a gifted child, who instead of the games in the fresh air with the guys preferred to a diploma.
Orthodoxy
When the leaving of the peasant family was 12 years old, the boy went to the Zhovetyodsky Makariyev Monastery, located on the left bank of the Volga, where he stayed up to 1624. But at the insistence of relatives who lured the young man from the service fraudulently, Nikita is forced to return home to his native village, where he experienced the death of his beloved grandmother and father.
In Veldemanovo Nikon marries and takes San Ierie. Initially, the priest holds church rites in the neighboring village of Lyskovo, but after coincidence, it is poisoned to the service to Moscow, since the metropolitan merchants learned about the formation and reading of Selyanin. It was in the capital of Russia that the fractures of the fate of the future of the Orthodox Church will occur.
Family life Nikita and his spouses are difficult to call happy: the pair failed to start the descendants, since the newborn children died in infant age. The priest perceived sad losses as a sign of over, meaning the removal from worldly life. So, in 1635, Ieria convinced the spouse to become a monastery of the Alekseevsky monastery.
Leaving money for the content of his wife, the thirty-year-old Nikita Minin takes a tonsure in the Sudtack Monastery and becomes Nikon: the abbot of the Skece of Eleazar itself performed this initiate rite. Based on the Orthodox religion, a person who took a tonsure to the monks dies for the former worldly life and takes another name, gaining a new spiritual beginning.
Nikon abdicted from life and bustle of Nikon observes the monastic life, without tired, he reads the sacred books and prays, giving the will and soul to the worship of God. Life in the skete, located on the banks of the Round Lake, was strict, the inquars had to read biblical manuscripts overnight, not washing with tired eyes. Food in the settlement of monks did not differ abundance: the discovers were powered by reserves of berries and fruits, and the flour that the state sacrificed.
Because of the pious service and literacy, Nikon becomes a favorite novice of Reverend Eleazar Anzersky, who in the future entrusts the minion to conduct mysterious liturgical rites independently, and Nikon's institution is trusted.
But in 1639, Inok Nikon and the elder Eleazar have disagreements about the construction of a new church, therefore, the future Moscow Patriarch, who did not find the support of brethren, has to escape from the monastic settlement to which he served over long.
After wandering, Nikon finds consolation in the leather monastery, and after the death of the abbot of the temple becomes igumen.
In 1646, the clergyman goes back to the capital of Russia to collect donations of the monastery and according to the tradition of an old rite comes with a bow to the sovereign Alexey Mikhailovich.
Nikon struck the king education and eloquent speeches. By the way, Alexey Mikhailovich walked the man very devout and the Orthodox religion and the church was condescending.
After communicating with the priest, the prince realized that he wanted to see this person in Moscow, so Iguman translated into the capital. Some Boyars did not like such an arrangement of the king to a simple elder, but, nevertheless, the leaving of the peasant family becomes Archimandrite of the Novospassian Orthodox Monastery.
Being in the service, Nikon becomes a member of the "jealousness of piety", which was formed at the end of the 17th century.
Later, in 1649, Minin becomes the Metropolitan of the Novgorod Diocese and with special diligence performs responsibilities, making services for strictly established rules.
In 1650, the hungry popular uprising broke out in Veliky Novgorod, the reason for the discontent of the citizens was a sharp rise in prices for bread. The participants of the rebellion there were people of various classes, from the shooters, to the poor and artisans: the Russian people opposed the state of the sovereign. But because of the sustainable position of Metropolitan Nikon, who defended the interests of Alexei Mikhailovich and other companions, the Novgorod Bunk was depressed.
The leaders of the uprising were waiting for a death sentence, which later changed to the unreacted beating of the whip. Sitting the punishment occurred thanks to Metropolitan, which did not remain indifferent to worldly people: Nikon visited the dungeon and listened to the complaints of the arrestants, and also communicated with the simple people, because of which some citizens found consolation in the speeches of the elected Metropolitan.
Patriarch
Nikon became a receiver of His Holiness Joseph, who died on April 25, 1652 to the Great Thursday. The pious wanted the church San Patriarch to give the founder of the movement of the "jeques" Stefan, but he refused to nominate his candidacy, because he could not stand the competitor of the king's pet.
For the Russian state in the 17th century, the title of the Bishop-Primer endowed the priest authority: the patriarch of All Russia could solve political issues on a sovereign, pointing to the king for mistakes, as well as to prevent convicts and punish people who violated spiritual laws. In fact, Alexey Mikhailovich made Nikon his companion.
During the construction of Hegumen in Patriarystsky San Nikon, Alexey Mikhailovich won the promise that neither under any circumstances would interfere in the Church's affairs.
Reforms and split church
Minin remained a folk favorite and influenced political issues, thanks to Moscow Patriarch in 1654, the reunion of Russia and Ukraine, and Nikon was interested in building and restoration of temples.
The reform activity of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Nikon left a trail in history due to the split of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1650-1660.
The reason for the split began to appear since the time of formation of the "Jealousness of piety". Participants in the religious group discussed the issue of unification of the clergy and called for uniformity of reading the scriptures and conducting rites. Only here about the adoption of the original sample at the collective there were disagreements: someone was a commitment to the Byzantine culture, when others relied on the Old Russian manuscripts.
With the advent of the mining on the patriarchal, the circle of adolescents collapsed, but the Old Believers displeased Nikon's politician continued to oppose the Patriarch's Reformation. Nikon introduces new liturgical rules in 1653, which caused a split between Patriarch's associates and Old Believers.
Nikon's reforms were as follows:
- Church books were reprinted and translated according to Greek canons
- A two-way sign introduced together with the baptism of Russia was replaced with three-purpose. For adherents of "Old Orthodoxy", two fingers meant two nature of the Unified Christ, and three symbolized the Holy Trinity. Therefore, it would seem, such a slight change in the service was important for religious people.
- Changed Writing the name of Christ: Izus became Jesus
- Earth bows were transformed by bowl bonds
- The word "Aliluya" began to pronounce three times instead of two, etc.
Old Believers were dissatisfied not only by new church laws, but also with tough methods that were guided by the Patriarch Nikon, for example, the peasants of two fingers were declared heretic and were distinguished by Anathema. The first opponent who put forward the opposition to new reforms was the adherent of the "old religion" Protopop Avvakum.
Alexey Mikhailovich respected Nikon and gave his minina the title of "Veliky Soviet" (Father Mikhail Fedorovich Filaret was used to Nikon Titul), but soon there was a conflict between the Patriarch and the king. The reason for disagreement was the Cathedral Code adopted in 1649. This state of state laws diminished the status of the Orthodox Church and made it completely dependent on the state.
Also, the boyars who did not like the approach of Nikon to the king, whipped against the patriarch of intrigue, and the result did not make himself wait: Gossip in the root changed the attitude of Alexey Mikhailovich to Minin. Because of the events that wrapped against the clergyman, Nikon is forced in disagreement to leave Moscow.
In 1666, the Court of the Local Cathedral of the Russian Church decided to exclude Nikon from Patriarystsky Sana and spew him from the priesthood for "anti-aircraft".
Personal life
During the lifetime of the Patriarch Nikon was an educated and well-read man who surprised not only the thorough knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, but also everyday wisdom. It is difficult to judge the identity of Nikon, as the Old Believers and supporters of new reforms characterize this person in different ways. Some in life is written that Nikon is the wisest Orthodox figure, whose reforms went for benefit; Others believe that Minin is a powerful, greedy and cruel person who was ready to go to everything to get the location of the king.
When the judges removed Nikon from Sana, the board led the arch of all the "crimes" of the Patriarch, and that's what was in that manuscript:
"Nikon without his cathedral consideration himself personally deprived Bishop of Pavel Kolomna Sana, Ferephae, pulled the mantle with Paul, and that" in ulcers and punishment a lot of heavy ", why Paul lost his mind and the poor died: or was confused by beasts, or fell in the river and died . "However, none of the historians can judge the reliability of this information.
Death
Scene to Cyril-Belozersky Monastery, where the cruel foundations flourished, Nikon undermined his health.
New Russian Tsar Fedor Alekseevich sympathized with the expelled Starta, so, contrary to the desire of the Church, allowed the former Patriarch to return to the Resurrection Monastery. A seriously ill monk did not master the far road and died on Yaroslavl Earth on August 17, 1681.