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| St. Tikhon of Moscow |
The Holy Patriarch Tikhon during his short activity as Primate of the Orthodox Church of Russia (1918- 1925), led the ship of the Church through the stormy sea of terrible events with unusual wisdom. In order to lighten the incredible suffering of the clergy and the laity persecuted by the godless authority, he made a whole series of compromises and concessions. The Soviet authority was not content with these concessions and demanded spiritual enslavement of the Church to the State. Then the holy patriarch ceased all concessions, for which he was arrested, and shortly afterwards died, being apparently poisoned in 1925.
After the death of the holy patriarch three of his remarkable instructions remained in force, which became the foundation for the true path of the Russian Orthodox Church. The first is concerned with the essence of the Soviet authority, which the holy Patriarch Tikhon defined as an authority of antichrist, and therefore subject to excommunication. The Soviet authority was condemned by the holy patriarch. The second instruction was his appeal, before his death, to all Russian Orthodox people in Russia: “I call upon you, beloved flock of the Orthodox Church, I call upon you to suffer with me!” The third instruction is in regard to all Russian Orthodox people “who are scattered throughout the world.” In the special 'ukaz' (order) No. 362 from November 7/20, 1920, it was proposed that all Russian people abroad, outside the USSR, unite and form a Center of the Highest Church Administration. It was proposed that all the Orthodox Russian people, scattered throughout the world, live apart from the Mother-Church of Russia under the administration of this Center until the time freedom and order be reestablished in Her.
According to this 'ukaz' the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad was established under the highest leadership of the Russian Council and Synod, represented, after the death of the Most Eminent Metropolitan Anthony, up to this day, by the Most Eminent Metropolitan Anastassy. This church is the only mystically and canonically and historically true Orthodox Russian Church outside the borders of the USSR.
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| Metropolitan Anastasius (Gribanovsky) of the ROCOR |
The enemy of the human race, the great slanderer, liar, and slayer of people—Satan, after the death of the holy Patriarch Tikhon, came down with all his might upon the Russian Orthodox Church, wanting to destroy or, at least, enslave Her.
Outside the boundaries of the USSR there arose discords, divisions, schism, but the Russian Church Abroad, true to the will and instructions of the holy Patriarch Tikhon, under the leadership of the Russian Synod of Bishops abroad, remained the pure bride of Christ, and therefore by the true promise of the Savior Himself, also invincible before hell itself!
If life abroad was abundant in arduous and dramatic events for the Russian Church, then life of the Orthodox Church of Russia in the USSR turned out to be a tragedy indeed!
After the death of Patriarch Tikhon, Metropolitan Peter of Krutitsa became Guardian to the patriarchal throne. He proved to be an unshakable “rock” and a fearless martyr for the purity of the faith of Christ. No temptations, no threats, no tortures and torments were able to move the great martyr, the Highest Prelate of the Russian Orthodox Church. His name will be forever mentioned in the history of the Russian Church together with the names of Metropolitan Phillip and Patriarch Germogen.
Arrested, exiled, tortured by incredible tortures and tormented to death, Metropolitan Peter remained unshakable and did not sign the Declaration which the Soviet authority demanded from him.
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| St. Peter, Metropolitan of Krutitsa and Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne |
His last order was the instruction that his name be offered in prayer during the liturgy throughout the Orthodox world as a symbol of unity in the Russian Church despite rumours of his death, until his death would be quite clearly established (look at the testimony of Bishop Damascene, Vicar of Chernigov).
After the arrest of the Guardian of the patriarchal throne, Metropolitan Sergius of Nizhnegorod became acting deputy of the Guardian of the patriarchal throne in 1926.
In 1927, Metropolitan Sergius betrayed the wills of the holy Patriarch Tikhon and Metropolitan Peter and issued his famous declaration in which he called upon all Orthodox people to “rejoice” with the joys of the god-fighting (theomachistic) authority and give this accursed antichrist authority nationwide gratitude for giving attention to the needs of the Orthodox population.
Remembering the incredible persecutions of the Orthodox Church, the martyr’s death of Metropolitan Benjamin and “with him” the arrest and death of the holy Patriarch Tikhon, the exile and sufferings of Metropolitan Peter, the demolition of churches, abolition of monasteries, the blaspheming of sacred relics, the prohibition of the sound of church bells, the organization of the “Consomol Pascha,” the incarceration of many hundreds of bishops (in 1927, over 200 bishops languished in concentration camps.), tens of thousands of clergy and monastics and millions of believing Christians convicted because of their church activities—the truly Orthodox people could not accept the Declaration of Metropolitan Sergius; a Church schism occurred in 1927.
The head of the truly Orthodox people—who remained loyal to the holy Patriarch Tikhon, who, by condemning the Soviet authority, called the loyal flock of the Orthodox Church to martyrdom, and to Metropolitan Peter, exiled to suffering, because he did not agree to sign that Declaration which Metropolitan Sergius signed—became Metropolitan Joseph of Petrograd.
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| St. Joseph, Metropolitan of Petrograd |
The followers of Metropolitan Sergius came to be called “Sergianists,” but the followers of Metropolitan Joseph were called “Josephites.”
Approval of Metropolitan Joseph’s position was received from Metropolitan Peter of Krutitsa from exile and from Metropolitan Kyrill of Tambov.
The Center of true Orthodoxy through 1928-1929, became the “Church of the Resurrection on the Blood” in Petrograd (on the place of Tsar Alexander II’s assassination). The superior of this church was the mitered Archpriest Father Vasiliy Veryushsky. Besides this Church, in the hands of the “Josephites” were still a few more churches in Petrograd and its vicinity: the Petrograd church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, at the house for aged artists on the island of Petrovsk (the superior of this church was Archpriest Father Victor Dobranoff); the church of the Tikhvin Mother of God in Lesno (where the abbot was Archpriest Father Alexander Sovetov), the church “Strelno” (superior-Father Ishmael) and a few others. At the church of the Resurrection on the Blood, besides Father Vasiliy Veryushsky, other remarkable preachers spoke there: Archpriest Father Theodore Konstantinovich Andreyev, (friend of Paul Florensky), the former professor of the Moscow Theological Academy, and Archpriest Father Sergei Tikhomirov. Father Theodore was the spiritual father to many academics of the Academy of Sciences and professors of the Petrograd University.
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| St. Theodore Andreyev |
In 1929 Father Theodore, (professor Andreyev) died after being tortured during interrogations in prisons and let out “to die at home.” The funeral of this remarkable preacher took on a grandiose demonstrative character. “Since the time of Dostoyevsky’s funeral, Petersburg did not see such an accumulation of people,” wrote professor A.I. Brilliantov to his friend.
By the year 1930, all “Josephite” churches were closed, with the exception of one, the Tikhvinsky Mother of God in Lesna. In 1930, all more or less prominent “Josephites” were shot: Bishop Maxim, Archpreist Nikolai Prozorov, Archpriest Sergei Alekseyev and others. Archbishop Dimitiy of Gdov was incarcerated for ten years in Yaroslav where he perished in political isolation. Metropolitan Joseph, Bishop Sergei Narvsky, along with a multitude of clergy and laypeople were sent away into concentration camps. Many lay people were sent away only because they attended the only Josephite church in Lesna. In 1936, this church was also closed down. Already from 1928, onward, secret liturgies began to be served in private homes in Petersburg.
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| St. Dimitry, Archbishop of Gdov |
After 1930, the number of secret liturgies considerably increased. And one can say that with the year 1937, the Catacomb Orthodox Church was firmly established. In the rest of Russia, especially in Siberia, catacomb churches were formed somewhat earlier. In Moscow there were not enough catacomb liturgies and many Muscovites were “fed spiritually” in Petrograd. There was no administrative center nor management of the catacomb churches whatsoever. Metropolitan Kyrill and Metropolitan Joseph were regarded as the spiritual leaders. The legal guardian to the patriarchal throne Metropolitan Peter of Krutitsk, was acknowledged as head of the church, and after his death— Metropolitan Joseph. In 1929- 1930, in the Solovetski concentration camp, where many “Josephite” bishops were to be found (Maxim of Serpukov, Victor of Vyatsk, Hilarion of Smolensk, and Nectary of Trevinsk), secret consecrations were conducted. Secret bishops emerged and a multitude of secret priests. I personally know only the Petrograd region and the secret catacomb liturgies performed there during the period from 1937 to 1941 inclusive. After that I had the chance to meet participants of catacomb services from 1942-1945, (from different places in Russia): After 1945, I have no information.
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| Catacomb Bishops and clergy of the Petrograd region (circa 1929) |
In Petrograd and the Petrograd region very many catacomb services were conducted from 1937 through 1941. Just where were these divine services held? In the private quarters of some academies, professors of the Military-medical academy and the Petrograd university, on the premises of the marine-technical college, the submarine school, in the school of adults for water transport, in the rooms of hospitals, in some offices, where entry was only by admission permits. Very intense were the divine services conducted in the outskirts of Petrograd and in places further away: in Shuvalova, Ozerki, the village Yiuki close to Levashevo, on the station Popovka, in Kolpino, Sablino, Chudovo, Little Vishera, Okulovka, in the apartment of a follower of the famous ascetic Matushka Maria, in Elizavetino, Volosovo, Oranienbaum, Martyshkino, Strelne (where the remarkable priest Fr. Ishmael) worked and in many other places.
The persecutions of the catacomb church, which Metropolitan Sergius declared as “counter-revolutionary”, and those praying in them, as “political criminals”, — he handed them over to be torn to pieces by the God-fighting authority — were exceptionally brutal.
There were especially many arrested and tortured to death during 1937-1938, during the so-called “Yezhov era” (head of the GPU at that time).
That is why beginning in 1939, the Catacomb Church began to be extremely cautious and it was extremely difficult to enter them. But those who were truly seeking managed. And if the secret catacomb divine services were greatly reduced in 1939, the spiritual quality increased immensely. Truly, these were new times — like those of the first Christians; the legend of the wonderful invisible city Kitezh became reality! As I happened to hear later, during the war, especially after the choosing of Metropolitan Sergius as “Soviet Patriarch,” the catacomb divine services became again very active in spite of the most cruel persecutions, because the truly Orthodox people could not become reconciled with the complete spiritual enslavement of the Orthodox Church to the accursed Anti-christ regime. With Patriarch Alexis (Simanski) the persecutions again increased, for there were no more excuses for those who did not attend the open churches and performed secret divine services in their homes! “The participants of Catacomb Churches were regarded as the most serious political criminals!”
But even the Savior Himself was numbered “among the transgressors!”
From here it is clear why the names of the participants of the catacomb churches must be kept in silence and secrecy, especially the names of bishops and priests. I would like to be able to tell so much about Fr. Alexei, Fr. George, Fr. Alexander, Fr. Peter, Fr. Vladimir, and so many others, well known True Orthodox in the Petrograd region. But it is not yet time! For, perhaps they are alive and still serve secretly to this day! For the smallest detail, which might expose them, threatens them and their families with deadly torture. But they don’t await man’s glory. They, these many martyrs and martyresses (for among the active workers of the catacomb churches are many nuns), are laying down their lives for each other, by fulfilling Christ’s commandment of the highest love.
Here abroad, one sometimes meets people who, while acknowledging the merit of the Catacomb Church, accept at the same time also the “truth” of the “Sergianist Church.” These people should know that in the USSR their position would have been sharply rejected from both sides. For if “Patriarchs Sergius and Alexis” prohibited to conduct services and pronounced the members of the “Josephite Church” as “political criminals”, then, the latter, in their turn, forbid their believers to attend the open Soviet churches.
Altogether, one can divide the Russian Orthodox population in the USSR into the following groups:
The first group of strict and true Orthodox Church people, who for the most part live a spiritual life in the interests of the church, as the Body of Christ. This group has in no way ever recognized and does not recognize the Soviet Patriarchate. This group has completely gone into the catacombs.
The second group consists of people of little faith, who rarely attend church, who by tradition believe mechanically in God in a lukewarm way, or are drawn towards the Orthodox Church services in an aesthetic way. They do not understand the finer points of the Church’s spirit. They notice only the “outer clothing” of the church, which has not changed. They readily attend the church, kept open by the godless Soviet authority, which permits small doses of “opium for the people.”
The third group is represented by “diplomats”, rationalists, who live for the interests of the Church as an organization (and not as an organ of the Holy Spirit). They justify the church politics and Sergius and Alexis, which according to them, is saving the church. Those people gladly visit the Soviet churches, not noticing that the preserved organization has lost the most important thing —the spirit of Christ.
The fourth group consists of those who also accepted the declaration by Metropolitan Sergius in 1927, with a painfully heavy heart, and all following words and actions by the Soviet Patriarchs, but reckon that grace nevertheless has been preserved in the Orthodox Church for the sake of those millions of unfortunate Russian people who receive great comfort in the church. With extreme heavy feelings, listening to the panegyric of the Soviet Church of the godless authority, they continue to come into the open churches and pray with tears before miracle-working icons. These are people with souls which did not yet reach the spiritual understanding of religion. The comfort of their souls they take as spiritual sacraments of grace.
The fifth group consists of those who personally did not speak with the patriarchs and metropolitans of the Soviet Church, and, therefore, are ignorant of the essence of that church. The majority of these people, familiar with some of the facts published in the USSR in different declarations, signed seemingly unknowingly, suppose that everything that was announced in the names of the “patriarchs” Sergius and Alexis or printed in the official church press are just plain lies, manufactured by the Soviet authority. Therefore, not accusing the patriarchs and metropolitans of the Soviet church personally, but not accepting in their hearts what the anti-christ authority says in their name— this group, even though they went into the catacombs, still continues to commemorate the names of the highest prelates in their secret liturgies. But the ones who have had the opportunity to personally speak with the representatives of the highest hierarchy know that the latter are freely and consciously in solidarity with the Soviet authority and are sincerely defending the unnatural friendship of Christ’s Church with the antichrist state.
It is totally impossible to even roughly determine the percentage of believers who retreated into catacombs. One thing can be said: the best ones went and there are millions!
Not being able to find and exterminate them all, the Soviet authority began to deny the presence of the Catacomb Church and called it a myth.
If there is the “Myth about Christ,” written by Prof. Arthur Drevso, then the “Myth about the Catacomb Church in the USSR” is also a possibility. I personally visited the Catacomb Church from 1937, until 1941 inclusive. Later I met people who attended their services from 1942-1945. The spiritual mood (feeling) in that church stayed on a high level and all the time pure.
In the month of December, 1937, after leaving the concentration camp, I did not have the right to live in the capital and so I lived 200 kilometers from Petrograd (we call it the city of Saint Peter— Leningrad— only on official occasions).
There, where I lived, there is not one church within a radius of more than 100 km. In Petrograd there are only two churches: The Morskoy Nicolsky Cathedral (near the Marinsky Theater) and the Cathedral of the Holy Great Prince Vladimir (by the Tutchkov bridge). Both churches are “Sergianist.” I and many friends had not attended the Sergianist churches since the end of 1927, that is, already ten years. I came to Petrograd secretly and went to one of my friends. She was visited by a secret nun. The latter took me to the secret church service of the Catacomb Church. I did not ask, and was not interested where they took me. I conscientiously did not want to know, so I would not be able to say where I went, if after, Lord have mercy, I should be arrested and even tortured.
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| Inside of a secret catacomb church |
Late evening... it is dark. We take a seat on a train at one of the railroad stations. We ride for over an hour. We exit at one of the stops and drive 2-3 km into the darkness. We arrive at some kind of village. On the outskirts—the first hut. Almost night. Dark. Quiet. A soft knock on the door. The door opens and we enter the izba (peasants hut). We enter a clean room. The windows are deeply covered. In the corner a few ancient Icons. In front of them burn lampadas (icon lamps). The people—about 15, mostly women in kerchiefs, three men of middle age, a few children 12-14 years old. Batushka—an acquaintance of mine. Some time ago he was a teacher in a high school, which I attended. He remembers me still as a boy. Batushka greets me cordially, blesses me, kisses me. “We'll begin now!” —he says, putting on his robe. “And you, in the meanwhile, write out a few prescriptions for medical Vaseline oil (mineral oil)”— he says, turning to me, knowing that I am a doctor —“it is still possible to get this oil in drugstores by prescription. There is no other. The Lord will forgive. But for the
lampadas it is good...”
I write prescriptions for almost all present, warning them not to purchase the oil in one day and at the same drugstore.
The evening service begins. They speak and sing in whispers. Many have emotional tears in their eyes. No disturbances, no distractions. Never and nowhere have I experienced so clearly and deeply the truth in the counsel of Saint John of the Ladder: “enclose your mind in the words of prayer!”
Except for Batushka, all the others are strangers. But they are all related, more than related!...
All of their eyes are pure, so clear, so warm and amiable, their faces—inspired! I cannot express in words, what I experienced during that vigil service. At the conclusion of the service I drank a cup of tea with bread. In parting I exchanged kisses thrice with everyone... The night is coming to an end. Quietly we are leaving, returning with the nun. The soul is at peace and concentrated. We take the train. Go back to Petrograd. I change to a different station and go home and to my job...
The year 1938. The second terrible year of the “iron rule” (Yezhov Purge). Shortly before Pascha I am arrested. For four days I stand in the “dog house.” So named is the cell, where one stands, because it is impossible to sit down, too crowded. Occasionally one is called to be interrogated. Some return quickly, others are being detained. The longer they are being detained, the more alarming for them. Because they will sign everything anyhow, what had been written down beforehand. They will only be beaten up and tortured. Finally they call me. I go and pray: “Lord make me understand, save and let me remain faithful!” I had never prayed so, because I knew that there no human hope was possible. I prayed, my eyes closed, with all my heart, all my mind, all my soul: “Lord free me!” I clearly felt that God is here, on my right side, He hears all, He knows all, He understands all, He can do all things!...
“Lord, free me! By the prayers of Thy martyrs throughout Russia! By the prayers right now in all the land of Russia of those, who secretly, pray to you in the Catacombs in whispers, with tears!... Lord, free me! Free me, in order that I might later, somewhere in freedom, tell others, what is happening now in Russia!...”
The prayer was heard by the Lord. A miracle occurred! How everything turned around— it is hard to say, I barely can believe it myself, what happened!...
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| I.M. Andreyev |
The provincial district branch of the NKVD. I sit on a stool in a large room. The walls are plywood. I can hear everything that is said behind the wall.
“Oh, what a fool! — screams the superior at the interrogator (who usually are boys 16-18 years old “probationers”, because of the large number of those arrested, there is not sufficient real investigators)— “By what clause did you accuse him?”
—“By the 59th.”
—“This clause means what?”
— “Being a bandit!”
—“And whom did you question?...”
—“Well, he acknowledged and signed it!...”
—“Oh you fool!, durak! I did not ask you about this... now even a dead person will sign!... the matter is not in his signature... answer me, who is he, this old man, a sectarian!?”
—“Yes, a Tolstoyan.”
—“So now you see! And you know, that they don’t even wear boots, but walk in galoshes, these Tolstoyans, they even sleep without pillows... why? Well, so as not to exploit the skin of animals and the feathers of chickens... they think, it is a sin to kill a fly... but you... pinned on him the accusation of being a bandit! Go, change the accusation to #58(section 58; article 10 of the USSR— for a campaign against the Soviet authority)...There are no fools in Moscow!” —continued to grumble the head of the department, — “this protocol will go to Moscow! Go, correct it!...”
—“Comrade chief.” — a different shy voice is being heard, — “but this I don’t quite understand... I interrogated an Old-believer. Explain to me, what is a ‘reader,’ is it some kind of rank?... or, here— ‘those without a priest’ what does it mean?”
—“The devil knows what it means,” the department head interrupts him...
—“Comrade chief,”— a third quiet voice is being heard,— “they brought here to interrogation some doctor—sectarian, he probably knows all this and can explain!...”
—“Well, call him!”
—“To which sect do you belong?”
—“To none!”
—“And why don’t you attend church?”
—“I pray at home!”
—“Well, do you understand anything about sects?”
—“I understand.”
And so, I became an expert and consultant in a number of questions on schism. As a result of which, I suddenly, unexpectedly, found myself released, why? For what reason? True, I was not guilty in anything, unless, that I, a believing Orthodox Christian, for some reason did not attend the Soviet churches.
I was freed recently from a concentration camp and remember well the friendly advice from one of the heads: “Well, doctor, now that you are free, you must work all the time to the count of 5+ (do better than your best, [an A+]), then we, (that is, the organ of the NKVD will give you a three with two minuses, [C-]). Any mistake of yours—will be a felony.”
And I worked like that, always for an A+, always a “udarnik”, “otlitshnik” (shock-worker, an exemplary worker)... I was without guilt and they gave me freedom! This is an incredible miracle in the conditions of the USSR.
I found myself free in Holy Week. On Holy Saturday, I was able to get to Petrograd with my small five-year old daughter. Matins was served at one of the apartments of a high official of the civil department, where entry was permitted only by special permit. I was given one of these special passes for my small daughter and myself.
We entered a clean and comfortable apartment. There were about thirty people. I found that I knew a few people. The service was conducted by an elderly priest, Fr. George. It is impossible to ever forget this morning service.
“Christ is Risen” was sung quietly and joyously. It seemed that people were not singing but angels! My little daughter stood with a candle in her hands and she herself glowed like a small candle. I have never in my life seen more joyous, more happy eyes than those of hers.
Did this really happen? Or was this a golden dream? I have not the words, or dare not tell, what it was... the heavens came down to earth and people became like angels! A sea of Love!
We are embracing each other.
We are forgiving one another.
We enclose the name of Christ within us!
The joy received from this bright morning service in the Catacomb Church still gives me the strength to live, after losing everything: family, homeland, happiness, scientific career, friends, health!...
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| Catacomb Orthodox Christians of the Petrograd region |