Kirill Belozersky

The origin of Rev. Cyril is unknown ^[1] . It is known that the future saint was close to the noble noble family of the Velyaminovs and in his youth served as the treasurer of the boyar Timofey Velyaminov. This influential Moscow boyar did not sympathize with Kozma’s desire to abandon his service and take on a monastic form, but the former friend of St. Sergius, Rev. Stefan Makhrishchi, clothed him in a cassock and persuaded the owner to let him go to the monastery.

Kozma was tonsured at the Simonov monastery in the abbess of Sergius nephew Theodore Simonovsky . In this monastery, the monk Cyril became acquainted with the Monk Sergius, who there repeatedly spoke with him.

From the very beginning, Rev. Cyril was committed to strict austerities, but his elder (future bishop Michael of Smolensk) moderates his ardor, forbidding him to take on feats beyond strength. Nevertheless, Cyril finds reasons to strengthen his feat. To hide his virtues, he added the feat of foolishness to asceticism. The abbot punished him for indecent behavior, putting him on bread and water for six months, but Cyril only rejoiced at the possibility of increased fasting.

After Theodore became archbishop of Rostov, in 1388 the Monk Cyril became Simon's archimandrite. However, he soon leaves his abbot and shuts himself in his cell. According to the life of the saint, one night, after an akathist, he hears the voice of the Mother of God: “Cyril, get out of here and go to Beloozero. There I prepared for you a place where you can be saved. " In Belozerye, St. Cyril went with another Simon monk, who had once traveled to the Volga region for economic affairs, Ferapont .

On the shore of Lake Siversky on the spot indicated by the Virgin, the Monk Cyril dug up his cave and continued his prayer feat. So in 1397 the foundation was laid for the monastery of the Most Holy Theotokos, further known as Cyril and Belozersky .

The severity of the place, however, confused the companion of the Monk Cyril, and Ferapont, having retired 15 miles from Kirillov, founded his own monastery, choosing a picturesque open hill for the new monastery. In all the guise of the no less famous Ferapontov Monastery, this light and joyful feeling is felt, so unlike the harsh beauty of Kirillov. However, there are no reasons and reasons to look for contradictions between the two Belozersky ascetics. This difference in the spiritual structure of the two reverends did not interfere with their kindest relations.

Left alone, Cyril was initially haunted by temptations. Once he almost died when a tree began to fall on him during sleep. Hearing in a dream the voice that prompted him to wake up, Cyril escaped from certain death. Another time, when he was clearing a place under the garden, the brushwood burned by him caused a big fire, from which the reverend barely escaped. However, Cyril did not remain alone for long. Soon, two of the locals and three monks from Simonov joined him. But new misfortunes began, this time from the side of the world. A certain boyar, believing that the former Simon archimandrite should have a considerable treasury with him, sent robbers to rob him. Another time, a local peasant, out of fear that his land would be granted to the monastery, tried to set fire to the monk’s cell. I must say that his fears were not unfounded. But St. Cyril, as his life tells us, avoids taking estates from worldly rulers. “She has sat down with the delight of holding, the pain in us will be the care, the silence of the presbytery, which is powerful for the brethren,” he says. He does not allow the brethren to even go for alms, and only accepts small donations.

However, there are a number of documents signed by the reverend that are related to the acquisition of land and villages. In other words, the non-possessive ideal was maintained only in the early days of the monastery. Over time, the expanded brotherhood (by the death of the saint it reached 53 people) required significant funds for its maintenance. G. M. Prokhorov names 25 letters related to the acquisition of villages ^[2] . So the land holdings of the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery appear even under its founder. However, the life compiled by Pachomius Logofet does not speak of villages and lands acquired by the Belozersky abbot. Subsequently, the Monk Neil Sorsky will partially manage to solve this problem for a small monastery, but at the same time serious ideological battles broke out around the issue of monastic possessions , which led to a split (dislike) among part of Russian monasticism.

Kirillov’s charter is very strict. Brothers are not even allowed to have their own drinking water in their cells. However, hegumen himself with the meek brotherhood, we do not know anything about the punishments imposed by him. There are always three dishes at the table. The monk himself takes care that there is comfort in the meal, but honey and wine are unacceptable. In relations with worldly authorities, Cyril shows independence, but combines it with meekness, does not denounce, but exhorts the princes.

The messages of the reverend to the sons of Dmitry Donskoy have been preserved: Grand Duke Vasily , Andrei Dmitrievich Mozhaysky , in whose estate is the monastery, and George Zvenigorod. He asks the Grand Duke to reconcile with the Suzdal princes: “Look at what their truth will be in front of you.” Incidentally, he writes about the "great bloodshed" to the peasants, which is being repaired because of this struggle. Andrei Dmitrievich Mozhaysky, in whose fiefdom is a monastery, writes about the need for a fair trial against bribes, slander and anonymous denunciations. He writes about the inadmissibility of usury, the need to close customs and taverns ("the peasants drink, and their souls perish"), against robbery, foul language, about pious behavior in worship. He writes to Georgy Dmitrievich about the need to look closely at his sins and asks not to go to his monastery.

In addition to the epistles of the grand-ducal sons, the pen of the saint also contains “Spiritual Charter” ^[3] . Presumably he also wrote a number of teachings, including "Teaching Elder Cyril a Cheese Weekly at Meal".

Cyril gathered a large library in the monastery, engaged in enlightenment. The library, owned by St. Cyril, is partially preserved. These are twelve books scattered in different repositories. Among them are 2 Gospels, 3 canonics, the “Ladder” of John of Sinai with St. Ava Dorotheus , saints, as well as 4 collections containing information on natural science, medicine and recommendations on dietetics ^[4] .

Rev. Cyril Belozersky died in 1427 . Pachomius Serb was the first to write the life of the saint ^[5] . Dionysius Glushitsky painted the icon of St. Cyril of Belozersky during the life of the saint. Thus, this icon, in a sense, is also a lifetime portrait of the saint.

In his spiritual testament, the reverend bequeaths the care of his monastery to Prince Mozhaisk. Addressing the prince, he asks that the awards to the monastery be secured with appropriate documents, so that the monks “fight against the offending.”

In 1547, the Makaryevsky Cathedral was ranked as a saint by the church.

• Ferapont Belozersky
• Ignatius Lomsky
• Martinian Belozersky

• Golubinsky E.E. Rev. Cyril of Belozersky .
• Kontsevich I. M. The acquisition of the Holy Spirit in the ways of Ancient Russia.
• Miller A.G. Kirillo-Belozersky monastery as a center for veneration of Russian saints in the 16th century // West. Pomeranian University. Series "Humanities and Social Sciences". - 2010. - Issue. 12 . - S. 67–72 .
• A. Melnik. Visual representation of the cult of St. Cyril of Belozersky in the monastery he founded in the 15th – early 17th centuries. // TODRL . - SPb. ; Rostock, 2016 .-- T. 64 . - S. 365-374 . - ISBN 978-5-94668-205-3 .
• Melnik A. G. The history of the spread of the cult of St. Cyril Belozersky in Russia in the XV-XVI centuries. // TODRL . - SPb. ; Rostock, 2017 .-- T. 65 . - S. 301-310 . - ISBN 978-5-94668-226-8 .
• Rev. Cyril, Ferapont and Martinian Belozersky. - SPb., 1994.
• Prokhorov G. M. Kirill Belozersky // Dictionary of scribes and books of Ancient Russia . - Vol. 2. The second half of the XIV-XVI century. - Part 1. AK. - M.: Science, 1988.
• Prokhorov G. M. Books of Cyril Belozersky // Tr. Dep. other Russian lit. - T. XXXVI. - M. - L., 1981. - S. 50-70.

• Three messages and a spiritual letter of Cyril Belozersky (Library of literature of Ancient Russia / RAS. IRLI)
• Life of Cyril Belozersky. (Library of literature of Ancient Russia / RAS. IRLI)
• Website dedicated to Rev. Cyril Belozersky .