Nikolay (Dobronravov)

Born in the family of a priest. He graduated from the Moscow Theological Seminary (1881), the Moscow Theological Academy with a candidate of theology degree (1885), the master of theology (1886, thesis topic: “The Book of the Prophet Joel”).

Since 1885 - a teacher at the Bethany Theological Seminary . He was ordained a deacon , then a priest .

Since 1890 - the law teacher of the Alexander Military School in Moscow. He was also the legal teacher of the 7th Moscow Men's Gymnasium , at the Polivanova Gymnasium and at the Arsenyeva Grammar School, archpriest of the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Nikita in Old Tolmachi .

Belonged to the number of liberal Moscow priests, advocated the reform of various aspects of church life. In 1905, he was one of the most liberal figures of the Society of Lovers of Spiritual Education , which during this period became the center of activity of supporters of church reforms.

In 1917 he became a member of the Pre-Council Council. In 1917-1918 - a member of the Holy Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church . He sharply opposed the restoration of the patriarchate . He reminded the Council that the Holy Synod was recognized by all local Orthodox churches, urged the cathedral not to be embarrassed and believe that the Lord himself would preserve his Church. He also noted that in the first three centuries of Christian history, patriarchate did not exist. Examining the 34th Apostolic Rule , which was often referred to by supporters of the patriarchate, emphasized the words: "the bishops of every nation should be the nobility of the first in them." This, in his opinion, meant that within the limits of one state there can be several patriarchs (for every nation): both the Georgian patriarch, and the Ukrainian, Siberian patriarch, etc.

However, after the election of Patriarch Tikhon, his views on the patriarchate changed, Archpriest Nikolai became one of Tikhon's associates. In 1917, liberal priests feared that the Patriarch might claim a monarchical role in the church, but practice did not confirm this point of view. Moreover, in the face of severe state pressure on the church, the restoration of the patriarchate seemed fundamentally important.

During the shelling by the Bolsheviks of the building of the Alexander Military School in November 1917, several families of officers found shelter in the apartment of Dobronravov. He took part in the funeral of junkers and officers who died during the Bolshevik seizure of power in Moscow in 1917.

In 1918 he was appointed rector of the All Saints Church on Barbara Square . On August 19, 1918, he was brought by Commissioner Stanislav Redens to the Cheka for obtaining a certificate of a search in the church, but was arrested and searched. No charge was brought against him, in the conclusion of Redens said:

From the interrogation of citizen Dobronravov, I got the impression that he took part in political life ... although I have no materials to establish his role in the events of July 1917, as well as in the October Revolution; it can be seen from all that this is a “type” harmful to the revolution, which, being at large, will most likely not sit still. Therefore, I propose to send him to a concentration camp.

However, this proposal was not accepted by the Cheka leadership. He was held in Butyrka prison (cell 78) until April 1919, when he was released.

In early 1921 he became rector of the Krutitsky Assumption Cathedral .

Widowed, he was tonsured a monk and on July 31, 1921 he was ordained bishop of Zvenigorod, vicar of the Moscow diocese .

In 1922, he was arrested and sentenced to one year of exile in the Zyryan region for decisively opposing the renovation movement (closely associated with the Bolsheviks and discrediting the ideas of church reforms that liberal priests advocated at the beginning of the 20th century).

After returning to Moscow, in April - June 1924 he was in Butyrka prison on charges of having great authority, carried out counter-revolutionary campaigning among the clergy, as well as in the case of beating a member of the workers 'and peasants' inspection. In the absence of any evidence, he was released.

Since 1923 - Archbishop of Vladimir and Suzdal .

In November 1925, he was arrested simultaneously with a group of hierarchs living in Moscow - supporters of the patriarchal Locum Tenens, Metropolitan Peter . In custody, he was in the OGPU internal prison in the Lubyanka .

On February 1, 1926, Metropolitan Peter appointed him the first bishop in a college of three archbishops who were supposed to temporarily manage the church - this testified to the high confidence he had in Bishop Nikolai. However, Archbishop Nikolai was in prison (Metropolitan Peter did not know about this) and was unable to take up his duties, and the collegium never met.

In prison, Archbishop Nicholas was asked if he knew about the letter of the historian Sergei Mansurov to the Locum Tenens, which justified the fact that, from the canonical point of view, he followed the course set out in the so-called “testament” of Patriarch Tikhon (that is, the course for compromise with the Soviet government). The investigator tried to obtain evidence from the archbishop that was beneficial to the Chekists, but did not achieve the desired result.

Priest Sergei Sidorov, who was arrested in the same case, later recalled:

At my first interrogation in November 1925, the investigator demanded that I issue the author of a letter to Metropolitan Peter. I refused to name him, and Tuchkov demanded my confrontation with Archbishop Nikolai. I remember the gray haze of twilight ... Tuchkov's hoarse cry and inarticulate exclamation ... of the investigator, who was constantly aiming over my head at the window with small browning. Archbishop Nikolai came in, looked ... at me and fixed his attentive gaze on the investigator. The ruler was a grayish cassock and winter scoop. The weary eyes were cold-strict. Getting up from his chair, the investigator broke out in such cries that the glass of doors and windows clinked. His Eminence Nicholas imperiously interrupted him: “Drink valerian and calm down. I do not understand the bestial growl and I will answer you when you speak humanly. And hide your toy. ” The miracle happened. The investigator hid the revolver and politely began to ask the Bishop, who gave him, like Tuchkov, some practical evidence. During this interrogation, Vladyka managed to completely whitewash Sergei Pavlovich Mansurov.

Priest Sergei Sidorov also recalled Archbishop Nikolai:

I am very grateful to him personally for my fate. By January 8, 1926, I had twenty-three interrogations; all night, on January 9, I was almost under continuous interrogation. Tired both morally and physically, I was ready to surrender to the demand of the investigators, I was ready to slander myself and my friends. Four o'clock in the morning struck when they called me to the investigator. His interrogation revolved in one place, he usually demanded to extradite people who were not involved in the letter to Metropolitan Peter. They brought Archbishop Nicholas. “I demand,” said the Bishop, “that you leave Sidorov alone. I know him as a nervous person, and to you, ”he turned to me,“ I forbid anyone to say anything to the investigator by the authority of the bishop. ” I was taken to the corridor, I heard the investigator's frantic abuse. It is unlikely that these lines of mine will be read by many, but if ... loved ones read them, let them bow before the marvelous face of Archbishop Nikolai, who once in the dungeons of the GPU saved me from the greatest misfortune - from giving friends to enemies of the faith and the Church.

He was sentenced by a special meeting at the OGPU board to three years of exile in Siberia (priest Sergei Sidorov and Sergey Mansurov were released). From June 1926 to April 1929 he was in exile in the Turukhansk Territory . Then it was transferred to exile in the Northern Territory (then uniting the northern provinces, including the Vologda). It is known that he was in a settlement in Veliky Ustyug in 1931. Local authorities considered him the leader of the church counter-revolution in the city. After the end of the exile (in 1932), he was allowed to live freely except for six major cities, with attachment to a certain place of residence for three years. When the term of the loss of rights ended, Archbishop Nikolai settled in Moscow.

He led a strictly ascetic lifestyle, he spent nights in prayer. In relations with people he was unusually simple, attentive and loving. The author of the project of reorganization of the parish , in which he pointed out the need for the introduction of charity at the parish, gift (free) performances due to the entire parish of the necessary requirements.

Re-arrested on October 27, 1937 . In particular, he was accused of speaking among others about the need to protect the church and the clergy, stating that “every believer should oppose the measures of the Soviet government, not allow closing churches, collect signatures, file complaints, and most importantly, the clergy should explain to believers the meaning of the events ... that the Soviet government is a temporary phenomenon ... " During interrogation, he refused to plead guilty.

On December 7, 1937, he was sentenced by a troop of the USSR NKVD in the Moscow Region to be executed on charges of "counter-revolutionary agitation, participation in the illegal counter-revolutionary church-monarchist organization of the CPI" (Articles 58-10 of the RSFSR Criminal Code). He was shot and buried on December 10, 1937 at the Butovo training ground of the NKVD in the Moscow region.

He was counted among the holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia at the Anniversary Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in August 2000 for general church veneration.

The feast to the holy martyr, Archbishop Nicholas, was established on December 10 (November 27, according to the old calendar), as well as on the day of the celebration of the Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia.

Some biographies of Bishop Nikolai contain a reference to the fact that since 1889 he was a priest of the Perm Cathedral, a member of the Perm Theological Consistory, and in 1891 he was appointed rector of the Perm Theological Seminary with the elevation of Archpriest and dismissal of a member of the Consistory. However, these biographical data refer to his namesake - Konstantin Mikhailovich Dobronravov .

• Book of the Prophet Joel. M., 1885;
• Old Testament Feast of Pentecost. - 1894 ;
• The Christian view of death. M., 1898;
• Patient care in ancient Christianity. M, 1904;
• The participation of clergy and laity in ancient cathedrals. M., 1906;
• Cathedrals in the Russian church until the middle of the 15th century M., 1906;
• The election of bishops in ancient Christianity. M., 1907;
• Chorebishops in ancient Christianity. M, 1907 ;
• Care for the poor in ancient Christianity. M., 1909;
• Deaconesses in ancient Christianity. M., 1912.

• Dobronravov, Nikolai Pavlovich // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.

• Holy Martyr Nikolai (Dobronravov), Archbishop of Vladimir and Suzdal // Foundation in Memory of the Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Orthodox Church
• Nikolay (Dobronravov) on the site "Russian Orthodoxy"
• Cathedral and Patriarch
• Nikolay (Dobronravov Nikolay Pavlovich) - Archbishop