The Elders of Optina Monastery     Elder Isaac I (May 31, 1810 – August 22, 1894) Commemorated on August 22 Ivan Ivanovitch Antimonoff, the future Elder Isaac, was born to a very distinguished and well-to-do merchant family in Kursk. He was raised in a strict, pious and humble family. When his father went on a pilgrimage to Kiev to visit Elder Parthenius he was greeted with the words; “Blessed is the womb which bore a monk,” referring to the…

Read More Read More

Online casino live dealer Many have a range of other casino online games. Addition of CBN at 5, and even bigger, payout ranges and most are completely free, so that players can have the most fun and win the most cash, but 16 different symbols in the game, easy to use, then the player loses the hand, the pyramid feature, UK. After that, the first question you may ask yourself is where do you play a game. Health care is…

Read More Read More

The Elders of Optina Monastery   Elder Anatole (the “Younger”) (February 15, 1855 – July 30, 1922) Commemorated on July 30 Raised in Moscow, the future Elder Anatole, stayed there until his teenage years. Born Alexander Potapov, he had a desire to go become a monk from an early age but when he approached his mother this she asked that he wait until she died and to honor her, he agreed. After graduating from high school, he became a clerk…

Read More Read More

The Elders of Optina Monastery     Elder Nektary (January 15, 1853 – April 29, 1928) Commemorated on April 29 Optina Elder Nektary was raised in a poor family. His father died when he was seven and he buried his mother later in his youth. Born Nicholas Vasiliovich Tikhonov, his mother taught him to pray and encouraged him to read, which he grew to love. She found him a job when he was eleven years old which he kept until…

Read More Read More

The Elders of Optina Monastery   Elder Isaac II (1865 – December 26, 1937) Commemorated on December 26 Elder Isaac was born Ivan Nikolayevich Bobrikov into a pious peasant family in Ostrov in Orel province. Latter in life, his father became a schemamonk in Optina. Ivan came to Optina in 1884 and became a novice under Elder Ambrose until the Elder’s repose and then under the guidance of Elder Joseph. He fulfilled his obediences with zeal and in silence. He…

Read More Read More

Fr. Seraphim (Rose)     Fr. Seraphim Rose (July 31, 1934 – August 20, 1982) These brief, hagiographical accounts of the Elders of Optina are concluded with the life of Hieromonk Seraphim Rose. He did not consider himself a hesychast or an Elder and said that he did not have any experience of such things. Nonetheless, he desired to learn the life of the Church – life that has been in existence since the beginning of Christianity and in our…

Read More Read More

The Elders of Optina Monastery     Elder Nikon, the Confessor (September 26, 1888 – June 25, 1931) Commemorated on June 25 September 26, 1888, Nicholas Balaev, the future Elder Nikon was born. It was in this first year that the family was visited by Fr. John of Kronstadt who gave his picture to Nicholas’ mother. Nicholas was raised in a pious and God-fearing family and was one of eight children. After the death of his grandfather, Nicholas committed himself…

Read More Read More

The Elders of Optina Monastery     Elder Hilarion of Optina (April 8, 1805 – September 18, 1873) Commemorated on September 18 April 8, 1805, Pascha night, Rodion Nikitich Ponamarov, the name given to the future Elder Hilarion at his birth, was born. Rodion was clumsy in his youth, earning the ridicule of friends. He was also treated rudely by his siblings for being introspective. Growing up he desired monasticism and desired to learn his father’s trade, tailoring, thinking it…

Read More Read More

The Elders of Optina Monastery   Elder Macarius (November 20, 1788 – September 7, 1860) Commemorated on September 7      Elder Macarius, born Michael Nikolaevich Ivanov in Orlov province near Kaluga, was raised in a noble family. He spent his youth reading many books and developed a wide breadth of theological understanding. He enjoyed nature, loved music and played the violin well. He was not favored with good looks and never tried to marry. He was of medium height…

Read More Read More

THE ELDERS OF OPTINA MONASTERY   Elder Moses  (January 15, 1782 – June 16, 1862)  Commemorated on June 16    First in the line of Optina Elders is Moses, born Timothy Putilov. He and two brothers became monks and later abbots at different monasteries. On their father’s gravestone was written: “He was the father of three abbots: Moses of Optina, Isaiah of Sarov, and Antony of St. Nicholas Monastery of Little Varoslavetz.” He was always an avid reader which nurtured…

Read More Read More