He Who Escaped the Ruined Monastery: Venerable Arseniy of Kerzhenets #
Very little is known about the birth and life of this venerable monk and schema-monk Arseniy. He labored ascetically in the renowned Solovki Monastery, where he lived to an old age. During the siege of the monastery by the Nikonian forces—when the tsar’s army, led by Voivode Meshcherinov, bombarded the monastery with cannons, allowing no one to enter or leave—Father Arseniy spent day and night in prayer before the wonderworking Kazan icon of the Most Holy God-bearer. This icon had once belonged to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and was donated by him to the monastery before Nikon’s patriarchate.
On the eve of the monastery’s capture, during the night of January 22, 1676, as he stood in prayer, the elder suddenly fell into a light sleep and heard a voice coming from the icon:
“Go after me, doubting nothing; and wherever I come to rest, there establish a monastery. And as long as my icon remains in that monastery, the ancient piety shall flourish there!”
At these words, the icon rose into the air in a miraculous manner and disappeared into the heights of the heavens.
Awakening from the vision, the elder found the wonderworking icon gone—it had vanished. The next day, the tsarist forces stormed the monastery. Hundreds of monks were tortured and executed, and some were bound in chains and taken from the island to the mainland. The elder miraculously managed to escape from under guard. He hid in the forest and wandered wherever his eyes led him. Suddenly, above the treetops, Father Arseniy saw the lost icon of the Most Holy God-bearer, flying through the air, upheld by an invisible power. Remembering the vision, Arseniy followed the icon, as the wise men of old followed the miraculous star. He made his way through impassable forests, swamps, and marshes. It is said that the forest would part and the marshes would dry up wherever the venerable wanderer had to pass…
The icon came to rest in the forests of Chernoramensk, in a secluded area called Sharpan. Monk Arseniy, discerning the will of God, established the first skete there. In 1676, six more elders arrived and helped to found the skete of Old Sharpan. Because of the number of the first inhabitants, the place came to be known as the Valley of the Seven Brothers.
Father Arseniy was a strict ascetic and faster, never consuming any animal-based food. Even on Pascha, instead of eating a red egg, he would break his fast with a baked onion.
The schema-monk reposed in deep old age. The wonderworking icon remained in the skete until 1853, when it was forcibly taken from the prayer house by Pavel Melnikov, a bureaucrat of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (who later became the writer P. I. Melnikov-Pechorsky). After that, the skete itself was destroyed…
The elder’s grave was venerated for centuries. A small wooden chapel was built over it, which was later destroyed during the Soviet era. Today, only an eight-pointed Cross of Christ stands in that place.
This site is still honored by Christians, who make pilgrimages there, offer prayers, and tend the holy grave.
The commemoration of this venerable father is kept on May 8 according to the Church calendar (May 21 by the civil calendar).
Tropar, Tone 8
We have come to know thee, O Father Arseniy, as a namesake of true courage, a great one in ascetic labors, and an exceptional guide for monks. For thou art the boast of the venerable, a clear rule of faith, and thou dost ever pray to Christ God, that our souls may be saved.
Kondak, Tone 2
O pleaser of God, chosen vessel of the Most Pure Mother of Christ, wonderworker Arseniy, heavenly man and earthly angel, now rejoicing in heaven with the bodiless hosts, standing before the throne of the Master, entreat Him to save our souls.
Ikos
Ever walking the path of salvation, O venerable Father Arseniy, and being led by the will of the Most Pure God-bearer, thou didst establish a monastery according to Her desire, where thou didst labor the good labor and finish thy earthly journey, and wast translated to the heavenly abodes. There, standing before the Son of the Most Pure One, entreat Him to save our souls.