Archbishop Raphael - Bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church , Archbishop of Astrakhan and Terek .
Biography
From 1619 to 1633, he was first hegumen , and then archimandrite of the Astrakhansk Trinity Monastery. The first years of the administration of his Trinity Monastery were the time of the latter's prosperity. There were brothers in it up to 170 people, except for ministers and workers; the sources of his income were inexhaustible. In 1622, Abbot Raphael was allowed to sell fish and buy all sorts of things for the monastery duty free. But with him the monastery began to decline. In 1623, on a bright week-end on Saturday, the strongest fire that started in the monastery bakery destroyed the temples of the monastery, all the cells with a multitude of services and granaries. Raphael wanted to erect buildings in the same places, but the voivode, Prince Prozorovsky, did not allow the buildings because of the cramped situation in the Kremlin and close to the powder treasury. Under the decree of Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich , he was ordered to build a special monastery in the name of Dolbylov, outside the city, in the monastery gardens, which had existed for about 100 years. Then various people began to take away the monastery grounds. Raphael fought for the interests of the monastery, but could not restore it to its former form. Attempts to plunder the monastic property continued even when Raphael was already Astrakhan's bishop, and he, of course, assiduously assisted his successors in defending the monastery.
Since 1632 - hegumen of the Solovki monastery .
From 1636 - Archimandrite of the Khutyn Spaso-Varlaamiev Monastery of the Novgorod Diocese .
On May 17, 1638, he was consecrated bishop of Astrakhan and Terek , elevating him to the rank of archbishop .
Under Archbishop Raphael, there was an invasion of Astrakhan Kirghiz-Kaisaks in the month of January. This invasion was prepared and led by the Tatars. The city was surrounded by the enemy from all sides. The houses, which were near the Kremlin and outside the city of Bellago, were burned down, and the inhabitants took refuge in the Kremlin. The city was taxed for three days, but with the prudent resourcefulness of the governor, Prince Prozorovsky, the enemies were defeated by Gogow. In memory of the deliverance of Astrakhan from the Kirghiz-Kaisaks, a chapel was set up in the Assumption Cathedral in honor of St. Athanasius and Cyril, and this day is annually marked by a procession of the cross around the city until 1700, and then stopped due to the inconvenience of the place and because of frost.
He died on December 20, 1640.
Links
- Russian biographical dictionary : 25 tons. / Under the supervision of A. A. Polovtsov. 1896-1918.
- Archbishop Raphael (1638-1640)