Optina Elders Cathedral

1. Jeroskhimonakh Leo (Nagolkin) (1768–1841) - founder and inspirer of the Optina elders. The expression of evangelical love was the whole life of this old man, spent in the service of God and neighbor. By feats, unceasing prayer and inimitable humility, he acquired the abundant gifts of the Holy Spirit.
2. Hieroskhimonakh Makarii (Ivanov) (1788-1860) was an elder in Optina Desert at the same time as Rev. Leo, and after his death he carried the feat of senile feeding. The name of the elder Makarios is associated with the beginning of the publication in the monastery of patristic works, which united the spiritual and intellectual forces of Russia around the monastery. Under his spiritual guidance was not only the Optina of the Deserts, but also many other monasteries, and the letters to the monks and laity published by the monastery became a guide for the Christian in spiritual life.
3. Schiarchimandrite Moses (Putilov) (1782-1862) gave an example of a combination of asceticism, humility and non-possessiveness with the management of the monastery and charity. Thanks to his mercy and compassion for the poor, the monastery gave shelter to many wanderers. Under Schiarchimandrite Moses, old temples and monastery buildings were recreated. Optina deserts owes its visible prosperity and spiritual revival to the abbot of Elder Moses.
4. Shiigumen Anthony (Putilov) (1795–1865) - brother and associate of the schiarchimandrite Moses, a humble ascetic and a prayer book, who through his whole life carried the cross of bodily diseases. He contributed to making old people in the monastery, which he led for 14 years. The written instructions of the reverend old man are the fruit of his fatherly love and the gift of the teaching word.
5. Hieroskhimonakh Hilarion (Ponomarev) (1805-1873) - student and successor of the elder Makarii. Being a zealous defender and preacher of the Orthodox faith, he managed to return to the bosom of the Orthodox Church many of the lost and fallen from the Orthodox faith.
6. Hieroschimonhos Ambrose (Grenkov) (1812-1891) is an ascetic of the Russian land, the sanctity and piousness of whose life God has witnessed with many miracles ^[5] , and the Orthodox believing people with sincere love, reverence and reverent appeal to him in prayer ...
7. Schiarchimandrite Isaac (Antimonov) (1810-1894) is the ever-memorable rector of Optina Desert, combining the management of the monastery and the art of pastoral leadership with humble obedience to the great Optina Elders and high asceticism. The life’s work of Scheme Archimandrite Isaac was the storage and approval of the eldership of the spiritual covenants in the monastery.
8. Hieroskhimonakh Anatoly (Zertsalov) (1824-1894) - a hermitage and an old man, instructed in the spiritual life not only the monks of the Optina Desert, but also the natives of the Shamorda women's monastery and other monasteries. Being a fiery prayer book and ascetic, he was for all who came to him a father, a patient teacher, always sharing the treasure of wisdom, faith and special spiritual joy. Elder Anatoly had an amazing gift of comfort.
9. Hieroschimonhos Joseph (Litovkin) (1837-1911) - a disciple and spiritual successor of the Monk Ambrose, who showed the image of humility, kindness, unceasing, sincere prayer, the elder has repeatedly been honored with the appearance of the Mother of God. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, many even during the life of Hieroschimonhos Joseph saw him illuminated by the divine grace.
10. Schiarchimandrite Barsanuphius (Plikhankov) (1845-1913) - a hermitage, about which Elder Nektarios said that the grace of God created a great old man from a brilliant military man in one night. Without sparing life itself, he fulfilled his pastoral duty in the Russo-Japanese war. The elder possessed insight, he revealed the inner meaning of the events, he saw the innermost heart of the person who came to him, lovingly awakening repentance in him.
11. Hieroskhimonakh Anatoly II (Potapov) (1855-1922), nicknamed the people as a comforter, was endowed by the Lord with great blessed gifts of love and comfort of the afflicted, insight and healing. Humbly carrying out pastoral service in the difficult days of revolutionary turmoil and atheism, the elder affirmed his spiritual children in the determination to be faithful to the holy Orthodox faith even to death.
12. Hieroskhimonakh Nektarii (Tikhonov) (1853-1928) - the last collectively elected Optinsky old man, who through the feat of unceasing prayer and humility gained the greatest gifts of miracles and insight, often hiding them under the guise of foolishness . During the days of persecution of the Church, being himself in exile for the confession of faith, he tirelessly nourished the believers.
13. Hieromonk Nikon (Belyaev) (1888-1931) - the closest disciple of the elder Barsanuphius, a prayer book and a shepherd who selflessly performed the senile service after the Optina desert was closed, suffered torment from atheists and died in exile as a confessor.
14. Archimandrite Isaac II (Beaver) (1865-1938) - the last abbot of the Optina desert, who experienced the brunt of the ruin and abuse of the holy monastery. Carrying his cross of priestly service during the years of trials and tribulations, he was full of unshakable faith, courage and all-forgiving love. Four times imprisoned. Shot on January 8, 1938 and buried in a mass grave in the forest on the 162nd kilometer of Simferopol highway .

• 1988 - by decision of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, the veneration of St. Ambrose of Optina took place.
• July 26-27, 1996, thirteen Optina elders were counted among the locally revered saints of the Optina Desert with a general cathedral celebration on October 11 (24).
• July 10, 1996 - the relics of St. Ambrose are found, along with the relics of six other Optina elders.
• 2000 - By the decision of the Council of Bishops, the Optina Elders were glorified for general veneration.

Prayer by the reverend father and elder, who shone in Optina Desert

About the great servants of God, pillars and fixtures of the Earth of Russia, the reverend and blessing of God, our fathers Optinstia, Leo, Makarios, Moses, Anthony, Hilarion, Ambrose, Anatolia, Isaac and Joseph, Barsanuphia, Anatolia, Nectarius, Nikone and Isaac, according to the Law of God God with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind, beloved and all the people of God for the salvation of the former; for the sake of this, under the cover of the Most Holy Lady of Our Lady of the Virgin, to Optina, who repented of the founding robber, who came, by close and deplorable humility and self-reproach until the end of your days, the blessed gifts of the Holy Spirit aboundingly acquired; old and young, noble and simple, wise of this age and wiseful, no one from those who are coming to you, nothing more than comfort and inconsolable letting go, but the light of the truth of Christ enlightened and spiritually resurrected your neighbors, like yourself, beloved and those in your heart which, according to the words of the Apostle, are prophesying and edifying, exhorting and comforting. Pray the Lord’s Mercy, to the abode of the heavenly robber discreetly with you, bestow upon us, unworthy, as an employee of the eleventh hour, spirit of contrition, heart cleansing, mouth keeping, rightness of deeds, humble humility, tears of repentance, unshameful faith, love not shameful bodily health, and through your intercession the Lord will grant us a good answer on His Last Judgment, delivering eternal torment, and may He reign with the kingdom of heaven forever and ever. Amen. ^[6]

Troparium, voice 6

The Orthodox faith of the fixtures, the monasticism of the steadfastness of the pillars, of the land of Russian consolation, the reverend elders of Optinstia, the love of Christ who have gathered and their souls for the children of believing, pray to the Lord, that your earthly Fatherland will establish in Orthodoxy and piety and save our souls ^[6] .

Condac, voice 4

Truly marvelous is God in his saints, the Desert Optina, as well as a revealing old man’s helicopter, even the Gods enlightened fathers, the secret of the heart of mankind, the people of God’s sorrows of good deeds appeared: this is the way to repent of sin burdened by faith, hesitating by the light of Christ and the teaching of God afflicted and infirm, compassion and healing of the gift. Now, abiding in the glory of God, they pray unceasingly for our souls ^[6] .