Article from Volume II of the Orthodox Encyclopedia

Anthony of Siysk (Andrey; 1478, village of Kiehta, Dvina Vol. – 7.12.1556), venerable (December 7, Old Art.), abbot, founder of the Anthony of Siysky Monastery (now Arkhangelsk region). The main source of information about Anthony of Siysk is his life, which is known in 4 editions. The 1st edition was compiled in 1577–1578. The monk of the Siya Monastery Jonah, on behalf of Abbot Pitirim, took this text to Moscow with a request to establish a celebration of the saint. (Earlier, immediately after the death of the saint, the monk of the Siya Monastery, Philotheus, attempted to compile a life, but he was not supported by the brethren of the monastery.) The life written by Jonah was presented in Moscow by the Novgorod Archbishop Alexander (a student of Anthony of Siya) to the son of John IV Vasilyevich the Terrible - Tsarevich John with a request to compile a new edition with a commendable word and service, the prince revised the life already in 1579. In the 60s. XVII century Based on 2 editions - monk Jonah and Tsarevich John, Abbot Theodosius of Siya compiled the 3rd edition of the life of Anthony of Siya, including a description of miracles before 1663. There is also a prologue edition of the life.

Andrei was the first child in a family of wealthy peasants Nikifor and Agathia. Because of the good looks and virtues that the saint possessed from birth, his parents loved him more than other children. At the age of 7, his parents sent him to “book learning”; he quickly mastered reading and writing and fell in love with reading the patristic works. Andrei was the only one among his brothers and sisters whom his parents blessed to study “iconic writing,” while the rest were engaged in farming. After the death of his parents, when Andrei was 25 years old, he moved to Novgorod, where he entered the service of a boyar’s house and got married. A year later, his wife died, and soon his patron-boyar died. Andrei saw this as a foreshadowing of his future destiny.

He returned to Kiechta, distributed all his property to the poor and left to wander. On the bank of the river Keny, 5 miles from the Transfiguration Kensky Monastery, Anthony of Siysky stopped in the forest for the night, here a gray-haired old man in white robes with a cross in his hands appeared to him in a dream, who said: “Take up your cross, come after me, go and struggle.” Rising from sleep, Anthony came to the Transfiguration Monastery and began to ask the abbot, the Monk Pachomius of Kensky, to accept him into the monastery. The abbot himself taught the new monk the monastic work, and in 1508 Anthony took monastic vows. The Life reports that Anthony of Siysk was “powerful in body and very strong, in his labors he was very courageous, as if he could work mightily for two or three” (RSL. Trinity No. 694. L. 15 vol.). He worked in a kitchen, cut down forests, cleared land for arable land, and served the infirm brethren in the monastery hospital. When there was no priest in the monastery, Abbot Pachomius blessed Anthony of Siysky for the priesthood.

In 1513, Anthony, together with the monks Alexander and Joachim, retired from the monastery to the Emtsa River to the Dark Threshold, where he built a chapel, cells and a church in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The altar Gospel from this church, which previously belonged to Anthony of Siysk, has survived to this day (BAN. Arkhang. No. 1200). 4 more monks came to the Nikolskaya hermitage to Anthony of Siysky. A conflict with the local population, who did not want to be neighbors with the monastery, forced the monks in 1520 to move further to the northeast - to sparsely populated forests along the Siye River. One day, when the monks were praying in the forest, they were seen by the hunter Samuil, a resident of the village of Brosacheva. Amazed by what he saw, he approached Anthony for a blessing, and the saint asked him to indicate a place convenient for setting up a monastery. Samuel took them to the shore of Angular Lake, where he had previously heard bells ringing and prayer singing. The monk founded a monastery 8 miles from there on the peninsula of Lake Mikhailovskoye.

Life in the new place was full of hardships, often the monks did not have butter, salt, bread - “there was poverty for everything; what you don’t remember, you won’t find.” The brethren wanted to disperse, but through the prayers of Anthony of Siysk, a certain man unexpectedly came to the monastery, brought bread, flour, butter and gave alms for the construction of the monastery. Soon another miracle occurred, which further convinced the monks to remain in the monastery. The tax collector of the Novgorod Archbishop Vasily Bebr, thinking that there were some treasures in the new monastery, hired robbers to rob the monastery at night. When the robbers approached the monastery, they saw many armed people guarding it. Fear fell on the robbers and they fled. The next morning the robbers told Vasily about what they had seen. He sent a priest from a nearby village to the monastery to ask the saint what kind of people were guarding the monastery. It turned out that there was no one in the monastery except the monks, and the saint, as usual, prayed all night. Struck by the miracle, Vasily Bebr came to Anthony of Siysk and repented of his sinful intentions.

A few years later, when the number of brethren greatly increased, Anthony of Siysk sent his disciples Isaiah and Alexander to Moscow, who received from Grand Duke Vasily III Ioannovich a grant of land and lands (RGB. Trinity. No. 694. L. 29 vol. - 30 ), Vasily Ioannovich asked the saint to pray for the “childhood” of the Grand Duchess. A wooden church was built in the monastery in honor of the Most Holy Trinity, the local temple image for which was painted by an unknown icon painter with the help of Anthony of Siy. The Life reports that the monk himself, although he learned to paint icons in his youth, “but his icon painting was simple,” he compensated for the lack of skill with fasting and prayer. A fire that occurred soon destroyed the church, leaving unharmed only the icon of the Holy Trinity, which was found in the middle of the monastery. After this, a new Trinity Church and 2 more churches were built: a warm one with a refectory in honor of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and a gateway church in the name of St. Sergius of Radonezh. The miraculously saved image of the Holy Trinity became a local shrine. In the life it is reported that the demoniac Vasily, the servant of the Dvina governor, Prince, was healed at the icon. Dmitry Zhizhinsky, Silouan - a servant of the boyar Vasily Vorontsov, who suffered from an epileptic illness, and many others. etc.

In 1543, Anthony of Siysk received a charter from Tsar Ivan the Terrible, according to which the Dvina centurion Vasily Bichurin was to demarcate the granted forests and lands to the Siysk monastery (Charter of the College of Economy. Vol. 1. No. 97. Stb. 98–100). After 2 years, the king granted the monastery a salt spring on Mount Isakov with an exemption from paying duties for the development of the fishery for 5 years. In the life of Anthony of Siysk (as edited by Tsarevich Ivan) there is information that Anthony of Siysky personally visited Moscow (apparently between 1547 and 1555) and was received by Tsar Ivan the Terrible and Tsarina Anastasia Romanovna.

During the years of relative prosperity of his monastery, Anthony of Siysky left its management to Hieromonk Theognostus and retired to live as a hermit 3 miles from the monastery on an island in Lake Dudnitskoye, where he erected a chapel in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Here the monk indulged in severe ascetic deeds, eating only from the labor of his hands: he himself cleared the land for crops, sowed and harvested grain. After completing the prayer rule, he ground bread by hand all night, kept part of the flour for food, and sent the rest to the monastery. To aggravate the feat, during the threshing the monk undressed to the waist and gave his body to be eaten by mosquitoes. After some time, Anthony of Siysk moved 5 miles away from the former desert - to Lake Padun. In total, he lived in the deserts near the monastery for about 2 years. When Theognostus left the abbess, Anthony of Siya was forced to return to the monastery and again become its abbot.

The life tells that the monk had the gift of clairvoyance. One day the monk Philotheus, who wanted to secretly leave the monastery, went into the cell of Anthony of Siya. The monk revealed his thoughts to Philotheus and thereby saved him from death. Another time, on the Feast of the Transfiguration, the monks fished all night and did not catch anything. Anthony of Siysky blessed them to go to the lake to Cape Red Nose. The catch was so great that the monastery ate this fish for a long time, and the fish tonya was named Antonieva.

Shortly before his death, Anthony of Siysky compiled “Spiritual Memory” - instructions on the organization of a monastic hostel (Arkhangelsk Museum of Local Lore. Inv. No. 3590). The books collected by Anthony of Siysk during the years of his abbotship became the basis of the later richest library of the Siysky monastery (in 1556, according to the signature list compiled by the monk before his death for the new abbot Kirill, there were 66 books).

Local veneration of Anthony of Siya began, apparently, immediately after his death. The general church canonization of Anthony of Siysky took place at the Council of 1579. At the end. XVI – beginning XVII century A new church was built in the monastery in honor of the Holy Trinity with a chapel in the name of Anthony of Siy. In 1652, Patriarch Nikon, on the way to Solovki, visited the Siysky monastery, and by his decree, a temple was built in Kiechta in the name of Anthony of Siysky. Under the Siysk abbot Theodosius (Lebedev; 1643–1652 and 1663–1688), 11 posthumous miracles of Anthony of Siysk were recorded, which the abbot witnessed: the healing of a deacon (1660), 2 paralytics (1661), the blind abbot Euthymius, etc. In 1672 In the vicinity of the monastery, there was rainy, cold weather for more than a month, threatening crop failure. Anthony of Siysky appeared to the monastery worker Ioann Tyrydanov and ordered him to tell the abbot to make a religious procession to Angular Lake, and for the population of the monastery surroundings to strictly observe fasts and fasting days. Igum. Theodosius went in a religious procession to Angular Lake 2 times, where there was a chapel in honor of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, built by Theodosius in 1668, the weather was good. On July 7, having completed the 3rd religious procession with a thanksgiving prayer, Abbot Theodosius established it to be held annually on this day. Significant events in the life of the monastery were also recorded by the chronicler of the Siya Monastery, in which 24 miracles of the monk that happened under Abbot Theodosius were recorded; in particular, on September 15, 1679, a lamp lit by itself at the tomb of Anthony of Siy, the oil from which cured serious illnesses.

The relics of the saint rested hidden in the Trinity Cathedral of the Siysk Monastery at the southern wall of the temple next to the chapel named after him. Above the tomb was an image of the Holy Trinity, painted by the monk. In 1859, a chased silver shrine was placed over the relics. On July 11, 1923, the monastery was closed; the relics of the saint were not opened during Soviet times. Aug 13 1992 The Antoniev Siysky Monastery, in a dilapidated state, was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. Currently, the Annunciation Church and the church in the name of St. Sergius of Radonezh are being restored, and the restoration of the Trinity Cathedral is being prepared.

Sources: Church charter. M., 1610. L. 448; Charter of church rites performed in the Moscow Assumption Cathedral // RIB. St. Petersburg, 1876. T. 3. P. 39; Description about Russian saints. pp. 156–157; Ponomarev A.I. Monuments of ancient Russian. Church teaching literature. St. Petersburg, 1896. Issue. 2: Slavic-Russian Prologue. Part 1. Sep.–Dec. pp. 65–67; Nicodemus (Kononov), Hierom. Arkhangelsk Patericon. St. Petersburg, 1901, pp. 29–179.

Literature: Kalaidovich K., Stroev P. A detailed description of Slavic-Russian manuscripts stored in Moscow in the library of the gr. F.A. Tolstoy. M., 1825. P. 573; Macarius (Mirolyubov), bishop. Historical information about the Anthony Siysky Monastery // CHOIDR. 1878. Book. 3; Yakhontov I. Lives of the holy Northern Russian ascetics of the Pomeranian region as a source. source. Kaz., 1881. P. 110–118; Karamzin N. M. History of the Russian State. M., 1989. Book 3. T. 9. Approx. 612. Stb. 136–137; Tupikov N. M. Literary activity of Tsarevich Ivan Ivanovich. St. Petersburg, 1894; Kononov A. St. Anthony, the Wonderworker of Siya and Church History. the significance of the monastery he founded. St. Petersburg, 1895; Pokrovsky N.V. Siysk icon painting original. St. Petersburg, 1898. P. 184; Klyuchevsky. Old Russian Lives. pp. 300–302, 336–337; Barsukov. Sources of hagiography. Stb. 51–55; Filimonov. Iconographic original. P. 208; Golubinsky. Canonization of saints. C. 117; Spassky F. G. Russian liturgical creativity (according to modern Menaions). P., 1951; Budovnits I. U. Monasteries in Rus' and the struggle of peasants against them in the XIV-XVI centuries: (According to the lives of saints). M., 1966. S. 270–276; Kukushkina M.V. Inventories of books of the 16th–17th centuries. Libraries of the Anthony-Siysky Monastery // Materials and communications on the funds of the Department of Manuscripts and Rare Books of the BAS of the USSR. M.; L., 1966. P. 130; she is the same. Monastic libraries of the Russian North. L., 1977. S. 25–32; SKKDR. Vol. 2. Part 1. pp. 247–248; Ryzhova E. A. “The Tale of the Life of Anthony of Siy” and Northern Russian. hagiography second sex. XVI century: AKD. St. Petersburg, 1993. pp. 8–9; Macarius. History of the RC. Book 4. Part 2. P. 36, 44, 211; Koltsova T. M. Northern icon painters. Arkhangelsk, 1998. pp. 36–37; Markelov. Saints of Ancient Rus'. T. 1. Ill. 36–43; T. 2. pp. 57–58.

S. O. Shalyapin, E. V. Romanenko.

Hymnography

The service of Anthony of Siysk was written specifically for the Council of 1579 by Tsarevich John; the creation of the service preceded the work on the life of Anthony of Siya, as evidenced by the entry in the service lists of the 16th century. (eg: RNL. Q. I. 22. L. 390). The service created by Tsarevich John was not widespread; it is known from 2 unnotated manuscripts: RNL. OSRC. O. I. 22 (XVI century) and NSRK. Q. 273 (80s of the 17th century), although more manuscripts with records of John’s authorship are known. There are also 2 notated manuscripts in which the chant of the service is recorded in znamenny notation (RNB. Kir.-Bel. No. 586/843, late 16th century; RNB. Capella. O. 4, 70s of the 17th century). They include chants created by the prince, although there is no inscription indicating his authorship. Analysis of the overall vocal composition, as well as the composition and rhetorical devices used both in the literary text and in the musical composition of individual chants of the service, suggests that Tsarevich John was not only the creator of the text, but also the singer of the service. However, its originality (the presence of the 2nd song in the canon; the content and size of some texts deviating from tradition) forced the Moscow spiritual authorities to refuse the service of the prince. In the first printed Russian Typikon of 1610, on the day of remembrance of the saint, it is noted: “The service to Anthony of Siysk is sung when the ecclesiarch judges.” In the printed Menea for December. (M., 1620) there is also no service, although the name of Anthony of Siya is mentioned. Here, under the mark “behold,” it is only noted that “his service is written in the book about the new miracle workers” (see Decree on the holy new miracle workers). In the Charter of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (c. 1634) December 7. about the service of Anthony of Siya it is said: “The syllable is bad, it is better for him to sing according to the common Menaion.” Probably, this assessment was the reason that a different service was included in the printed Menea, published in 1636 with the blessing of Patriarch Joasaph. From the Menaion of 1636, the service ended up in handwritten, unnotated collections, for example, the Russian National Library. Weather No. 688, where it precedes the Life of Anthony of Sias as edited by Jonah. The text of the Slavniks of this service, sung and recorded in znamenny notation, is included twice in the manuscript of the National Library of Russia. Capella O. 4. L. 79 vol., 220, and the 2nd exposition is preceded by the inscription: “against the printed ones,” which indicates that the text was taken from the printed Menaion and only then sung. In this service, historical realities are eliminated, the text is more traditional. and uses imagery from the general service of the reverends. Both of these services are placed in the printed Menaion, now used in the Russian Orthodox Church (Minea (MP). December. Part 1. pp. 226–246; 247–275), with the service written by John placed in 2nd place. The tipi-kon, now used in the Russian Orthodox Church (Typikon. T. 1. P. 308), prescribes the sixfold service to be performed by Anthony of Siysk (see Signs of the feasts of the month).

N. V. Ramazanova

Iconography

The iconography of Anthony of Siya began to take shape in the last quarter of the 16th century. Iconographic originals describe the appearance of the saint as follows: “Gray-haired, bald, with a scanty face, withered hair, five little braids, like Anthony of Pechersk, narrower, a venerable robe, underside is green and white” (RNB. Po-god. No. 1931. L. 75, 7 Dec.; 2nd quarter of the 19th century). Above the tomb of Anthony of Siya there was his main image of the 16th century, which was depicted together with a number of half-length and full-length images of the 17th century. placed in the Siysky facial original, 2nd floor. XVII century (Pokrovsky. P. 184).

The facial life of Anthony of Siysk from 1648 has been preserved (GIM. Shchuk. No. 107/750, in 40), donated to the Siysky monastery by Abbot Theodosius, in the manuscript there are 153 miniatures. It is known that Abbot Theodosius was an icon painter, presumably he is the author of miniatures of the life (Kukushkina. Monastic libraries. pp. 108–109). On the cover of 1661 (AOKM), contribution of I. D. Miloslavsky; Moscow icon of 1668 by icon painter V. O. Kondakov-Usolts (collection of P. Korin. Tretyakov Gallery); the veil of the late 17th century. (AOKM) from the sacristy of the Trinity Cathedral of the Siysk Monastery, the monk is presented in full growth, with a blessing right hand and a scroll in his hand, at the top is the image of the Holy Trinity. In 1659, Kondakov-Usolets painted an image of Anthony of Siysk in his life, which was placed near the shrine with the relics of the saint. On 2 surviving hagiographic icons from the mid-2nd half of the 17th century. (GMZK, AMI) in the middle the monk is represented in prayer to the Holy Trinity; There are 20 stamps around with scenes from his life. The marks of the first icon include: the foundation of the monastery on the Emtsa River, the foundation of the Holy Trinity Monastery, Anthony of Siysky settling in a cell near Lake Padun, the repose of Anthony of Siysky, his burial; the last mark depicts the compiler of the life of Anthony of Siy with an open book in his hands (on the sheet there is an inscription: “life”).

In the icon painting originals it is reported that Anthony of Siysk was “an extraordinary icon painter, but he painted the image of the Life-Giving Trinity, from him many miracles happened, and there were many icons” (Filimonov. P. 208). Mentions of icons written by Anthony of Siya have been preserved: in the Trinity Church of the Siya Monastery, the Annunciation Yametsk Hermitage and others (Koltsova, pp. 36–37), in the monastery fodder book of the 17th century. the image of St. Nicholas “from the miracle worker’s letter” is mentioned (Arkhangelsk Patericon. P. 209. Note 30). The icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness” (AOKM), according to legend, painted by Anthony of Siysk, has been preserved; This is evidenced by the inscription on the back, apparently made during the renovation of the icon in 1882.

O. A. Polyakova

Venerable Anthony of Siysk, hieromonk! 20th of December. The Monk Anthony, founder of the Holy Trinity Siysk Monastery, was born near Arkhangelsk, in the village of Kekhta, into a peasant family. In 1999, a cross was erected in the village in memory of this. The name of Saint Anthony's father was Nicephorus. He was a native of Novgorod. Nikifor and his wife Agafya had no children. After long prayers to the Lord, God gave them a son, whom they named Andrei in holy baptism. Subsequently, Nikifor and Agafya had other children, sons and daughters, but “the first-born surpassed them all in his good looks, which is why he was loved by his parents more than other children.” Already in early childhood, the future ascetic differed from his peers in his “quiet, meek and gentle” disposition, as well as the love and respect he showed to his parents (34, 4). At the age of seven, Andrei learned to read and write and paint icons. When he was twenty-five years old, his father and mother died, entrusting their children to the care of the Lord and the Most Holy Theotokos. Orphaned Andrei went to Novgorod, where he served a boyar for five years. “It was pleasing to the Lord that His chosen one should first live in the world, as if ascending by steps to monastic life” (34:5). Andrei was distinguished by his piety, often visited the temple of God, and generously gave alms to the poor. He was modest, friendly and polite in his manner, for which he enjoyed the respect and love of his master and his household. Despite the fact that Andrei was a simple peasant, the boyar for whom he served loved him so much for his hard work and piety that he married his daughter to him. However, even having become related to a noble and wealthy family, young Andrei remained the same modest ascetic in the world as he had been before. Archimandrite Nikodim mentions one of the ancient editions of his life, which says that he and his wife spent their lives in virginity and chastity. A year later, Andrei’s wife died, and soon her father died. This chain of losses finally turned Andrei’s thoughts to God. “He began to reflect on the vanity, rebellion and impermanence of worldly life and saw that it passed like a shadow and a dream, he hated its imaginary joy and became inflamed in spirit, wanting to flee from the world to God” (34, 5). Andrei returned to his homeland, distributed his share of his parents' inheritance to the poor and went to the Kargopol lands, to the Kena River, where the Spaso-Preobrazhenskaya hermitage was located near the lake with the same name. Its abbot was the Monk Pachomius of Kensky. At that time, Andrei was about thirty years old. On the way to Kenozero, the future ascetic had a vision in which the Lord revealed to him what awaited him in the future. When he stopped for the night in the forest near the monastery, a certain gray-haired, light-like old man appeared to him, holding a cross in his hands. “Take up your cross and follow me; strive and do not be afraid of the wiles of the devil, for you will be a man of spiritual desires... and you will appear as a mentor to many monks,” he told the astonished Andrei, crossed him and said: “With this, defeat the evil spirits.” After this, the unknown old man disappeared. His prediction subsequently really came true - the peasant from Kekhta became an experienced monk and mentor to many monks of the monastery he founded. He had to fight the wiles of the devil and defeat them with the power of the “all-joyful sign of our redemption - the Cross of Christ. The Monk Pachomius accepted Andrei into his monastery and soon tonsured him with the name Anthony and himself became the mentor of the young monk. This happened according to the providence of God, so that the Monk Anthony “would see the virtuous life of the holy elder and be jealous of it” (34, 7). Monk Anthony turned out to be a worthy disciple of Saint Pachomius. He was constantly in fasting and prayer, reading the entire Psalter three times a week; He devoted only a few hours to sleep, and ate once every two days, and even then little by little. While performing obedience in the cookhouse, he himself carried water and chopped wood. While preparing food and looking at the fire blazing in the oven, I remembered the unquenchable fire of hell prepared for sinners and shed streams of tears. The Monk Anthony was also distinguished by his love for the temple of God. He was the first to come to church for worship and listened carefully to everything that was read and sung there, and was the last to leave the church; He was extremely humble and if he met any of the brethren, he was the first to bow to the ground and take his blessing. Thus, while living on earth, the Monk Anthony led a life similar to that of an angel. A year later, at the request of the abbot and the brethren, the Monk Anthony went to Novgorod, where St. Moses of Novgorod was ordained to the priesthood. After his ordination, he did not change his ascetic lifestyle and began to live even more strictly, realizing that his priestly rank obliges him to do this. Hieromonk Anthony worked hard at the difficult monastic obediences: he felled trees, uprooted stumps, and worked in the garden. He especially loved to care for the sick in the monastery almshouse, fulfilling Christ’s commandment to love one’s neighbor (34:7). The monk spent his nights in prayer. Thanks to his considerable physical strength, Saint Anthony “worked for two or even three, being most devoted to earthly labors.” For this, the abbot and the brethren praised and revered him. However, the monk was burdened by the glory from people. He strove for a more severe feat - desert living. With the blessing of Abbot Pachomius, the Monk Anthony with two monks, Joachim and Alexander, went into the forest wilds in search of a place where they could settle. At first they settled on the Emtsa River, near the village of Skrobotovo: they built cells and a wooden church there in honor of St. Nicholas. After seven years of living in this place, they were expelled from there by local residents who suspected that the monks wanted to seize their lands. This human injustice did not bother the Monk Anthony. Remembering the words of the Savior: “Blessed are those who were expelled for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:10), he placed all his hope in the Lord’s help, and for those who expelled him he humbly prayed: “Do not count it against them, Lord, it is a sin, forgive them their sins” (34, 7 – 9). The Monk Anthony prayed to the Lord to help him and his companions find a new place to live. The Lord heard the prayers of His servants and granted them what they asked for. The fisherman Samuel, who met the exiles, showed them a wonderful place on the shores of Lake Mikhailovskoye, surrounded by impenetrable forests. Even before the arrival of the monks, local residents saw monks there cutting down the forest, heard the ringing of bells and the singing of an invisible choir. Apparently, God’s will was for a monastery to stand on this site. Here the Monk Anthony settled with seven disciples. The first wooden church they erected was dedicated to the Holy Trinity. So, more than four centuries ago, in 1520, during the reign of Grand Duke Vasily III, the Holy Trinity Siysky Monastery was founded (35, 11), which later became known as Anthony of Siysky after the name of its holy founder. The formation of the Siya monastery was not easy. The place where the Monk Anthony settled was wild and remote from people. It was surrounded by swamps and dense forests, where predatory animals lived. More than once the brethren, suffering from a lack of the most essential things, were ready to disperse, but, through the prayers of St. Anthony, God unexpectedly sent what was necessary for the monastery. The Lord protected the Siya monastery. One day, a tax collector from Novgorod, a certain Vasily Bebr, decided that the monks must have money, and decided to take it away. To do this, he hired a gang of robbers who, for the sake of money, were ready to attack even the monastery of God. Both Vasily and the robbers he hired understood that the monks would not dare and would not be able to resist them. However, God did not allow the monastery to be destroyed: the rogues saw many armed people around the monastery, were afraid and did not dare to carry out their plan. Soon Vasily, having learned from a priest from the village of Siya that there was no armed guard in the monastery, realized that the Lord Himself had come to the aid of the monks. Repenting of his sin, he came to the monastery and with tears begged the Monk Anthony to forgive him. “The monk instructed him and sent him away in peace, and he himself thanked God, who in secret performs miracles for the deliverance of His servants” (34, 13). The main shrine of the Siya Monastery was the icon of the Most Holy Trinity, painted, according to legend, by the Monk Anthony himself (8, 479). Thus, it was they who laid the foundation for the tradition of icon painting in the monastery, which was resumed in the 20th century, after the revival of the Siysk monastery. True, there is an opinion that the Monk Anthony only helped the icon painter, since he did not know all the subtleties of icon painting. However, there is no doubt that the help of St. Anthony in painting the image of the Most Holy Trinity was significant. While working on this icon, he “devoted himself to fasting and prayer, thereby most of all contributing to the painting of the image” (35, 15). The icon became famous for its miracles. Through prayers before her, the blind received their sight, and demons were cast out from the possessed. One day, due to an oversight, the wooden Trinity Church burned down, but the miraculous icon located in it was found intact (8, 479). Information has been preserved that icons painted by the Monk Anthony were kept in the Siya monastery for a long time. It is also known about his miraculous healing of the sick icon painter Abbot Pitirim, whom the Monk Anthony ordered “not to give up his work.” In this regard, the Venerable Anthony of Siysk, along with the Venerable Alypius of Pechersk and Andrei Rublev, is revered as the patron saint of icon painters (9, 722). During the abbotship of St. Anthony, the beginning of a large monastery library was laid. Following the example of the monks of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, the monks themselves were engaged in rewriting books. The Monk Anthony rested in the Lord in deep old age. This happened during the reign of Ivan the Terrible, December 7 (new style - December 20) 1556. Of the seventy years of his life, he spent almost thirty-seven in the monastery he created, periodically leaving it for solitary living. He was an example for the brethren, “taking part in all labors and especially consoling those who were doing hard work. He took care of the poor and sick who came to the monastery, teaching the brethren about mercy, spent his nights in prayer, and slept only for a short time after dinner. Often the monk would fish, praying unceasingly, and baring his shoulders to be eaten by mosquitoes.” St. Anthony's love for prayer was so great that when he grew old and could not walk, they led him to church arm in arm, and he prayed while sitting (9, 722). Before his blessed death, St. Anthony entrusted the Holy Trinity Monastery to the patronage of the Lord, the Mother of God and St. Sergius of Radonezh, whom he especially revered. Before his death, he bequeathed to the brethren not to abandon works of mercy: “Feed the poor and give them enough to drink and give alms, so that this place does not become scarce” (8, 484). Dying, he consoled the weeping brethren, saying that “the day of his rest has come, and it is fitting for them to rejoice rather than to grieve.” He bequeathed his body to be thrown into a swamp, but the monks flatly refused to fulfill his will (9, 722). The spiritual heights that St. Anthony reached are best illustrated by his teachings to a certain monk Philotheus. This monk was still very young. According to the modern ascetic writer Archimandrite Lazar (Abashidze), his youth “at all times was distinguished by dreaminess, enthusiasm, and romanticism. During this period, most people do not want to think about boring work or everyday worries, but want the most colorful and unusual destiny. This is the age when a person has a lot of energy and ardor.” In this regard, he notes that “we must be very careful about the desire of young people to enter monasticism” (36, 20), because it is possible that later they may be disappointed in their chosen path, and monastic vows, as is known, are given forever. It is possible that Philotheus came to the Siysky monastery, guided precisely by youthful fervor, not realizing how cunningly and cruelly the enemy of the human race was plotting against the monks. He sent thoughts of despondency to Philotheus. Defeated by them, the young man decided to leave “from the monastery to a foreign land, get married and live in peace” (34, 23). Philotheus did not tell anyone about his decision, but, to his amazement, the Monk Anthony, who possessed the gift of clairvoyance, himself revealed to him his secret desire. He did not reproach and shame the young man and gave him some useful advice with the help of which Philotheus could henceforth defeat the thoughts inspired by demons. This is what the Monk Anthony taught Philotheus: “Child, have the fear of God in your heart and pray to God often according to your strength. Learn handicrafts, constantly doing something with your own hands, so as not to fall into despondency. Have, child, humility, obedience and submission to all the brethren. Beware of the love of money, so as not to fall into misfortune. Once you have left the world, then do not return there, do not do anything worldly. The Lord said: “No one, putting his hand on the plow and looking back, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” If you died for the world, then do not live in the world again, but live for Christ. You came here to Him and made your vow before Him. Do the truth in everything, but hate falsehood. Never remain without repentance. Endure every sorrow with gratitude, for without sorrow it is impossible to be saved” (34, 23). “We need patience and prayer, so that we may attract God’s mercy through our perseverance” (35:11). “Try, child, to preserve all this from now on, so that you will receive eternal blessings and be freed from eternal torment” (34, 23). Having kept these teachings of St. Anthony in his heart and taking advantage of his advice, the monk Philotheus felt peace in his soul and was no longer subject to sadness and despondency. The first life of St. Anthony of Siysk was written twenty-one years after his repose by Hieromonk Jonah with the blessing of Abbot Hermogenes. Another life belonged to the pen of Tsarevich Ivan, the son of Ivan the Terrible. The story of the writing of the first life of St. Anthony is connected with a miracle. When the author, Monk Jonah, had just begun to write it, some monks of the Siya monastery, probably out of envy, and perhaps secretly ashamed of their own laziness, began to scold him: “Behold, before no one dared to write a life, but this one is writing...” At the same time one of them spoke harshly about the Monk Anthony in anger. Jonah felt bitter, who, for the sake of love for the monk, decided to write his life. Instead of approval, he was forced to hear blasphemies and reproaches. Once, immersed in sorrowful thoughts in his cell, he saw in front of him an icon on which were depicted all the reverend fathers who had pleased God in their deeds. Among them was St. Anthony the Great, revered as one of the greatest mentors of monks. A certain unknown monk, pointing to the image of the great Egyptian Abba, said to the despondent Jonah: “Why did you doubt? Why are you faint-hearted? The one you want to write about was like this great man, and bore his name and imitated his life. Now put aside all doubt and do your work without lapse.” Thus, the Monk Anthony was glorified by God on a par with the ancient holy fathers. After this vision, Jonah realized that the Lord Himself was telling him to write the life of St. Anthony of Siy, and, despite any temptations, he completed his work. In 1579, the Venerable Anthony of Sias was canonized (35:11). On the feast day of St. Anthony, numerous pilgrims flock to the Holy Trinity Monastery (it was returned to the Church in 1991, seventy years after its closure). There, in the Holy Trinity Cathedral, rest the relics of St. Anthony, the Wonderworker of Siysk, the holy founder of this ancient monastery, and after death he did not leave it without his intercession. Prayer to St. Anthony of Siysk: O all-blessed Father, St. Anthony, warm intercessor and helper of those who call upon you with faith, deliver us through your prayers to the Lord from every demonic situation and deliver us, your accursed and unworthy servants. O wonderworker Anthony, from the mouth of the destructive serpent, who yawns to devour us and bring us to hell alive, forgive us, Father, for our great sins, and pluck us from sin and all the misfortunes that come for our sins. Give consolation to our souls, instill in our hearts the fear of God’s Judgment and deliver us from our enemies, visible and invisible, for the imams give you the warmth of a prayer book and intercessor, who are in troubles and have fallen into sins. You have appeared as a pillar of piety, a rule of abstinence, an image of humility, a mentor of chastity, an intercessor and guardian for the poor and orphans who resort to you. Whoever can truly praise your life as an angel and who can honor your labors, struggles and tears to the Lord, truly, like the brightest sun, your corrections will shine. For he was a zealot of all the saints, reverend and righteous, and a spiritual teacher, a champion, and an intercessor, and a prayer book, standing before the Most Holy Trinity. You have forsaken the world and those in the world, and bring us to repentance to the Lord with these prayers, most honorable father, so that we too may be worthy of eternal good things, where we enjoy the Heavenly glory of the desired Jesus Christ, our True God and the Sweetest Master and Lord of all. To Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, together with His Originless Father and His Most Holy and Good and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The life of St. Anthony of Siysk was initially connected with the Novgorod land. The Reverend was born in 1478 in the village of Kekhta (40 versts to Arkhangelsk, on the banks of the Northern Dvina). The parents of the saint of God were considered wealthy peasants. His father, Nikifor, came from Novgorod the Great; mother, Agafia, a northerner from Kekhta. “You both live according to the law of God: working in agriculture, prospering through piety and faith, through alms and righteousness, and through prayers to God, and other good deeds... coming to the church of God, bringing offerings from their labors, often praying to God that they will be preserved from all kinds of troubles and misfortunes and give them the fruit of childbearing. The humane-loving Lord, seeing the extent of their faith, gave them the fruit of childbearing.”

The first-born son was named Andrei, according to legend, in honor of St. Andrew the First-Called. Then the parents had other children, and Andrei became a common favorite in the family: “from childhood he is quiet, meek, kind, humble, well-behaved..., more than his diligence for the Church of God, practicing the praise of God, reading Divine books attentively.” And at the same time he was handsome, slender, and in good health. At the age of seven he was sent to study: “his teacher marveled at his quick book habit.” Loving parents gave their son the opportunity to comprehend the “iconic scripture.”

After the death of his parents, Andrei went to Novgorod. He spent five years here, serving with a boyar - a distant relative. The owner was a pious, kind man, and he trusted the young man so much that he married him to his daughter. But a year later the young wife died, and the boyar soon died. For Andrei this became a sign from God - he decided to devote himself entirely to Christ. Returning to his homeland, he sold part of his parental inheritance, distributed the proceeds to the poor and left Kekhta forever.

It was probably no coincidence that he went to Kargopolye. The residents of Podvinsk, of course, had heard about the venerable wonderworker Alexander Oshevensky and the Dormition Alexander-Oshevensky Monastery founded by him (40 versts from Kargopol), in which many ascetics of the faith grew up. In the Kargopol region, on the Kena River, the disciple of St. Alexander, the Monk Pachomius, founded the Kensky monastery. This is where Andrey came.

I would like not to miss one important detail of his long and difficult journey, which influenced the future life of the Reverend. He went to the Kena River, not knowing that there were only 5 miles left to the monastery. The twilight of the approaching night forced him to stop. Having fervently prayed to God to indicate the path of salvation, Andrei lay down to rest and was rewarded with a miraculous vision. A light-like elder appeared before him in white robes and with a cross in his hands. “Take,” he said, “your cross and follow me; strive and do not be afraid of the wiles of the devil, for you will be a man of spiritual desires, desert education, and you will be a mentor to many monks.” The elder made the sign of the cross over him and, saying: “By this, conquer the evil spirits,” he became invisible.

Andrei spent the whole night in prayer of gratitude to the Lord. And entering the Kensky monastery, he fell at the feet of the abbot, asking “to accept him into the flock.” The Monk Pachomius did not hide the hardships of life in the monastery under construction from the stranger, but he only strengthened his request. The experienced, perspicacious ascetic understood Andrei's purpose, clothed him in monastic robes, and named him Anthony. He was then thirty years old.

The abbot took upon himself the ascetic education of the young monk. Anthony’s zeal both in prayer and in work was so great, he fought so courageously with passions and temptations, with all his heroic health - “mighty in body” - he was so meek and kind that “he was loved and revered by all, and the blessing of all be upon him.”

It happened that there was no hieromonk in the monastery, the choice of the brethren settled on Anthony. He again went to Veliky Novgorod, there he received holy orders from Saint Moses, Archbishop of Novgorod. Returning to the monastery, he took up spiritual work and intense physical labor with even greater zeal.

The prophet-like one constantly remembered the words of the light-like elder about desert living and solitude, spoken to him in a night vision. Having asked for the blessing of the abbot of the monastery, the Monk Anthony with two monks, “equal to him,” set off to look for a place to live in the desert. Later, diligently asking for blessings from the Reverend, four more joined them. We settled near the Sheleksa River, erected a small temple, cells, and cultivated the land. We spent seven years here in prayer and labor. But the inhabitants of a nearby village, seeing how the place was being improved from the impenetrable thicket and desert, and also deciding that with the founding of the monastery their lands would be taken away, they began to expel the monks. The Monk Anthony and his companions meekly accepted this test.

They walked many miles, through forests, mosses, crossing rivers, in search of new solitude. And one day they came to the lake, which was popularly called Angular, and then the people themselves renamed it Holy. The blessed place was conducive to prayer! Anthony and his brethren, raising their hands to the sky, offered a prayer of thanks. Then the trapper of the Yaminsk (Emets) camp, Samuil, saw them. For the catcher, the picture presented was so unexpected that he froze, and then, convinced of the reality of what he saw, he headed towards the monks. Having learned about the purpose of their appearance here, Samuel led the brethren to Lake Mikhailov. The Siya River flows through it, and on the lake there is a small island: about 100 fathoms long and about 60 fathoms wide. There is a belief that the narrow strip of land that today connects the island to the mainland was built by monks. No one had lived here before; there was forest all around for long distances. But the fishermen who came here from time to time heard the ringing of bells, the singing of monks, and even saw that the monks were “cutting” (cutting) the forest. Therefore, the local people have long been convinced that this beautiful place was intended by God Himself for a monastery.

The monk, having walked around that holy place, and looking everywhere, and loving it greatly, was filled with much joy, raising his hand to heaven, offering grateful prayers to God and saying: “Behold my peace forever and ever, here I will dwell, for the Lord has favored it.” This happened on the 42nd goal of the life of St. Anthony. The monks began to settle on the island: they erected a cross, a chapel, and cells; on the opposite shores of the lake they cut down forest and cultivated the land. The first four years were especially difficult. One day the hunger became so great that the brethren wanted to disperse. The monk tearfully asked the monks to be patient and prayed fervently. And at that time an unknown man appeared, bringing with him flour, bread, butter, and money for the construction of the monastery. He explained that he was going to Novgorod, promised to stop by on the way back, after which he left and never came here again.

Having thanked the Lord, the Monk Anthony began construction. But there was one more test ahead. The tax collector of the Novgorod Ruler, named Vasily Bebrya, saw the construction on the island, and decided that the brethren had a lot of money, incited the robbers to rob. At night they approached the monastery, but, to their fear, they discovered many armed guards. In reality, there was no security; the brethren were resting peacefully. The Monk Anthony stood alone at the prayer vigil. Afterwards the tax collector learned that there were no guards. Repenting of what he had done, he fell to his knees before the Reverend and asked for forgiveness with tears. The holy elder mercifully forgave Bebru and the robbers. This incident greatly contributed to the fame of the monastery.

The Reverend sent his closest associates - Alexander and Isaiah - to Moscow, to Grand Duke Vasily Ioannovich, with a request to establish the Holy Trinity Monastery and grant it lands, since the number of monks was growing rapidly. The request was received, and the Grand Duke gave the monastery everything necessary for its initial establishment.

With great care, a wooden church was built in the name of the Most Holy Life-Giving Trinity. The icon for the temple was painted by the Venerable himself. True, being strict with himself in everything, he resorted to the help of a more experienced icon painter. But soon a fire broke out in the temple. The brethren were at field work that day. Only the sick and a few weak workers remained in the monastery, who “due to the great fire, were unable to get into the church and carry out the miraculous image of the saint... and a glorious miracle happened: this icon itself, coming out of the great flame, was carried by no one.” The Church of the Most Holy Life-Giving Trinity was rebuilt, the holy image was installed, and soon, through the prayers of the Venerable One, several people received healings. There was also another icon in this church, painted by the Monk Anthony.

The builder of the monastery erected two more churches in the monastery - in the name of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the gateway in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh. All buildings are wooden. The fraternal cells and services seemed to surround the temples, forming a regular quadrangle on the island.

Until the age of 79, the Monk Anthony remained the abbot of the monastery he created. He introduced a communal charter of monastic life in it. The monk truly became “the mentor of many monks,” as the light-like elder had predicted for him. The monk instructed his disciples to constantly pray, fast carefully, observe cell rules and refectory decorum, and taught them to combine prayerful labors with economic labors. All matters were discussed in the refectory at a general meeting, execution of decisions was mandatory for everyone. Loving his disciples, he commanded brotherly love and special care for the weak and poor. But he was also strict. The obstinate and slanderous were separated from fraternal communication, and if he repented, the brethren and the abbot accepted him, forgiving him in a fatherly manner.

Already during the life of the Monk Anthony, the Siysky monastery became so spiritually and economically comfortable that it began to turn into an influential church and administrative center of the Podvina region. The top officials consider it important for themselves to support the Siysk monastery. Following his father, Grand Duke Vasily Ioannovich, the monastery was especially favored by Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible - he rewarded the work of the Reverend with land, forests, and fishing grounds. In 1545, the monastery received judicial and financial benefits, at the same time its farmsteads were mentioned in Kholmogory, Una, Nenoksa.

No matter how preoccupied the Reverend was with the affairs and concerns of the monastery, he never neglected prayer and cleansing from his own sinfulness. Moreover, he twice left the monastery into silence and desert life. The first time - for two years, which he spent in prayer and hard labor: he cut down forests, dug up the ground, sowed barley, and went fishing. He sent almost everything he earned through his own labor to the monastery. Struggling with temptations, on hot summer days he exposed his body to the waist and, standing in prayer, barely alive, leaning helplessly against a tree, he gave himself up to be devoured by swamp gnats, evil gadflies and countless midges. Having killed himself with severe deprivations, the Reverend achieved such perfection of spirit that he read thoughts of those who came to him and performed miracles. He did not want to leave his desert life, but the brethren begged him to return to the abbess. And for the second time Saint Anthony went into silence shortly before his death.

From hard work, prayerful feats, worries about the monastery, his health completely weakened. “He, like an ear of wheat, weighed down with fruit, bowed to the ground, bent by years and work.” Anticipating his death, the Monk Anthony dictated the spiritual testament of the brethren - a document stunning with wisdom and lofty spirit, accuracy and brevity of expression of thoughts and love for man: “Live in the community equally spiritually and physically, with food and clothing, according to the commandment of the holy fathers. At the builder's (abbot's) meal, do not add anything to food and drink in addition to the brotherly food. Also, both clothes and shoes should be the same. Do not keep intoxicating drinks in the monastery... Feed the poor in abundance and give alms, so that this holy place does not become scarce..."

Before his death, the Reverend, lamenting his sins, asked the brethren to bury him as the most unworthy: “...Drag me into the wilds and there trample my sinful body in the swamp.” But the monks objected that they would not do this. The monk departed to the Lord on December 7 (20), 1556 (7). In great sadness, the brethren buried his body. Soon healings began to take place from the holy relics.

21 years after the death of the builder of the monastery, the brethren instructed Hieromonk Jonah to compile the Life of St. Anthony and a service to him. Among the merits of the work created by Fr. Jonah corresponds to all the rules of the hagiographic canon, a lot of facts and details, liveliness, beauty of language - the main thing stands out: the compiler of the Life recorded memories “from the remaining disciples of the blessed one who told us about him,” as well as eyewitness accounts of the posthumous testimonies of St. Anthony. “I gathered these things together and committed them to writing, to the zeal of those who followed his holy life.”

In 1579, the Life and Service of the Reverend were taken to Moscow and presented to Tsar John Vasilyevich - with a petition for the canonization of the Reverend. The young Tsarevich John became extremely interested in the text of the life - he had heard about Anthony of Siysk from his parents before: Tsar John and Queen Anastasia treated the Siysky ascetic very warmly. “We are inflamed with love” for the Saint, and also urged by the disciple of the Monk Anthony, Archbishop Alexander of Novgorod and the elders of the monastery, the prince began to compile a service to the Saint, and then a new edition of the Life. He relied on the text of Father Jonah, treated the original source with care, and even in the title of his work called himself the second creator of the Life. At the same time, the prince expanded the narrative through numerous disseminations, re-wrote the preface and the Eulogy to the saint. These two Lives later acquired numerous copies. Other editions appeared, including verse (poetry) editions - the authors of the latter, according to experts, were ordinary people. In style, tonality, and rhythm, these texts are clearly related to northern folk word-making.

The canonization of the Monk Anthony took place during the reign of one of the most significant followers of the Monk, Abbot Pitirim. In 1577, he was summoned by the Siysk brethren from the Komel monastery he founded.

Parents of Rev. Anthony were wealthy villagers of the Dvina volost of the village of Kekhty, who came from Novgorod. Nikofor and Agathia - that was their name - were people of pious life: they often visited the temple of God, made all possible offerings for the benefit of the Church and tried to fulfill the commandments of the Lord. They fervently prayed to the Lord to grant them a son, and their prayers were heard. In 1478, their first-born son was born, whom they named Andre. Andrey was distinguished not only by the beauty of his face, but also by his virtues.
From an early age he was pure in heart, meek, and kind, so everyone loved him. When Andrei was seven years old, his parents sent him to learn to read and write. The boy quickly learned to read and write, and at the same time learned icon painting
and really loved this activity. He especially often visited the temple of God. Andrei’s soul was not in favor of his parents’ occupations: rural work did not attract him, because he wanted to serve the Lord. He loved reading. All the creations of the holy fathers
and he studied with great zeal the teachers of the Church that he could obtain. Meanwhile, Nikephoros and Agathia felt the approach of their death, called all their children and told them: “Children, we have reached a very old age, and serious illnesses have befallen us, as you yourself can see. The time of our death is not far off. Now we entrust you to God and His Most Pure Mother. They will take care of you throughout your life and will help you in all your affairs. You try to always keep the commandments of God. May the mercy of the Lord be with you forever."

Soon they went to the Lord in peace. Andrei was 25 years old at that time.
After the death of his parents, he moved to Novgorod and here he served one boyar for five years. On the advice of the boyar, he got married. But his wife died a year later, and Saint Andrew saw the will of God in this. He returned to his homeland, but did not stay there long. Having sold his share of his parents’ estate, he distributed the proceeds to the poor and left Kekhta forever to serve the One Lord.

The monk went to the monastery of Pachomius near Lake Keno, without taking
even bring with you another change of clothes. Five miles before the monastery, night overtook him. The saint began to earnestly ask the Lord to show him the way, and after prayer he fell asleep. In a dream, a splendid husband appeared to him in bright robes, with a cross in his hands, and said: “Take up your cross and do not be afraid to undertake your feat. Strive and do not be afraid of the wiles of the devil, for you will be a man of spiritual desires and will be a mentor to many monks.” Having overshadowed him with the cross, the wondrous man also said: “By this, conquer the evil spirits.”

The saint immediately woke up. His heart was filled with spiritual joy. He spent the rest of the night in prayer. The next morning, entering the monastery of St. Pachomius, he fell at the feet of the pious founder and head of the Kensk monastery and with great humility asked to become one of the monks. Pachomius pointed out the difficulty of monastic life, said that his monastery had recently been founded, but nothing could hold back God’s chosen one. Seeing the future ascetic in the newcomer, Pachomius accepted Andrei into the ranks of the monks and clothed him in monastic robes, and named him Anthony in honor of St. Anthony the Great (January 17/30). This happened in 1508, when St. Anthony was 30 years old. Pachomius himself began to lead the new monk, taking him into his cell. The new monk was the first to appear in the temple of God, constantly keeping in his heart the memory of the Last Judgment and the future impartial retribution. Distinguished by his good health, he willingly performed the most difficult work, engaged in agriculture, worked in the kitchen, working diligently for the brethren. Through bodily labor the monk mortified his flesh and thereby cleansed his soul. He fought strongly against the obsessions of evil spirits and always defeated them. He slept very little, observed strict fasting, ate food every other day and then little by little. For such an ascetic life, all the brethren treated him with love and respect. But great in his humility, Saint Anthony was burdened by human praise.
At that time, there was no hieromonk in the monastery. The Monk Pachomius and all the brethren asked Anthony to accept the rank of priesthood. Yielding to their requests, he went to Novgorod to the archbishop and received holy orders from him. Returning to the monastery, the ascetic began to lead an even more strict life.
There was a hospital in the monastery. In his free time from worship, St. Anthony looked after the sick: he himself prepared water for them, washed the sick, washed their clothes, encouraged and consoled them with his words. This is how he prepared himself for future exploits. Loving solitude, the monk asked Pachomius to bless him
for this feat. And Pachomius blessed him, seeing his virtues and works.

The monk went to look for a deserted place for his exploits. He was accompanied by two pious monks of the Kensk monastery, Alexander and Joachim. From the Kensk monastery of St. Anthony and his companions swam along the Onega River to the Sheleksna River. Rising along the course of this river through forests and impenetrable wilds, the monks came to the Yemtsa River, into which Sheleksna flows, to a threshold called Dark Rapids. The hermits liked this place, they set up a hut here, and after a while they built a small temple in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and a cell. The three ascetics were joined by four more monks: Isaiah, Elisha, Alexander and Jonah. The place chosen by the Monk Anthony was covered with dense forest and located far from human habitations. The silence of the quiet desert was broken only by the fervent prayers of the monks and the singing of birds. Nature was harsh, and so were the exploits of the monks. Only the Lord God and the ascetics themselves knew how many hardships they suffered at this time. Saint Anthony spent seven years with his cohabitants, constantly praying and working. But the enemy of the human race could no longer tolerate their piety. He inspired the residents of the neighboring village of Skorobotova with the idea that with the founding of the monastery their land would be taken from them by the monk. The inhabitants rebelled against the hermits and drove them out. The Monk Anthony meekly withdrew with his disciples from that place and headed even further to the north. The wanderings of the monks through forests and swamps began again.

One day Rev. Anthony prayed with the brethren. The saint stood in front of the others with his hands raised. During prayer, the fisherman Samuel approached the monks. After waiting for the end of the prayer, he approached the monk
and asked for his blessing. Saint Anthony blessed Samuel, then talked with him for a long time and asked him to indicate a place convenient for monastic deeds. Samuel led the monks to Lake Michael, from where the Siya River flows. This place was 78 miles south of Kholmogory and was even more deserted: impenetrable wilds, dark forests, thickets, swamps overgrown with moss, deep lakes - these were the walls that separated the place of the saint’s exploits from the world. Antonia. The only inhabitants of this place were wild animals. Never here
there was no human habitation; only trappers sometimes came here.
And they said that at this place they had more than once heard the ringing of bells and the singing of monks; sometimes they imagined that the monks were cutting down the forest. From this came the conviction that the place was intended by God Himself for a monastery.

The blessed one liked the place, and he decided to settle here: for the first time he built a chapel and cells here. This is how the subsequently famous Siysk monastery was founded. This happened around 1520, when the monk was 42 years old. At first, the monks had to endure many hardships. The monk himself, together with other monks, cut down the forest and dug the earth. This is how the ascetics obtained their meager food. They also ate “self-growing pastures,” that is, berries, grass roots and mushrooms. But they often lacked butter, bread and salt, and had to endure hunger. One day the poverty was so great that the monks began to grumble and even wanted to leave that place. But the Lord helped St. Anthony. Unexpectedly, an unknown lover of Christ appeared, who delivered flour, butter, bread to the brethren and gave more funds for the construction of the monastery. The lover of Christ told the monks about himself that he had made a long journey
and now he is going to Veliky Novgorod, he promised to return to them, but he never returned.

Around that time, the collector of tribute from the Novgorod ruler - the new monastery was in the region of Veliky Novgorod - Vasily Bebr, thinking that the Venerable. Anthony had a lot of money and persuaded the robbers to rob the monks.
But the Lord protected His faithful servants. When the predators wanted to attack
at the monastery, it seemed to them that it was guarded by many armed people. They settled in the forest wilds surrounding that place, but could not wait for the right time to attack. Then, driven by horror, they ran, and when Bebru was informed about everything, he realized that the Lord Himself was protecting the monks; came to St. Anthony, fell on his knees before him and repented of his sin. The old man meekly forgave him.

The rumor about the exploits of the monk and his cohabitants spread throughout the surrounding area, and many began to come to them and provide them with means of subsistence. Some took tonsure at the hands of an ascetic. When the number of disciples increased, St. Anthony sent his disciples Alexander to Moscow
and Isaiah. They had to ask Grand Duke Vasily Ioannovich for permission to build a new monastery. The Grand Duke graciously received the monks, handed them a charter for the land occupied by the monastery, and donated church utensils and vestments. The monks who brought letters and donations from Moscow were greeted with joy. St. Anthony began diligently building a vast wooden temple in the name of the Most Holy Trinity. Finally the temple was finished. The local icon of the Life-Giving Trinity, according to legend, was painted by Saint Anthony himself. But the Lord wanted to test the patience of His servants. Once after morning singing, when St. Anthony and his brethren were at work, and the temple, built with such diligence, burned down from the remaining unextinguished candle. After this, the brethren even wanted to disperse. They were only consoled by the fact that the local icon of the Holy Trinity remained completely undamaged. Then a new temple was built, and the miraculously preserved icon was solemnly brought into it. Soon, through the prayers of the saint, the sick began to receive healing from her. In addition to this temple, the monk built two more churches: one in honor of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, the other in the name of St. Sergius, the miracle worker of Radonezh, to whom the monk often turned in his prayers. When the monastery was established, the brethren began to ask the ascetic to accept the abbess. The humble ascetic had to yield to the persistent requests of the brethren and take over the management of the monastery.

For several years he ruled the monastery and set a good example for everyone. Every day the monk appeared in the temple of God and, standing at the Divine service from beginning to end, did not lean on the staff or lean against the wall. And he watched over the brethren to ensure that they maintained decorum in the church: they did not move from place to place, and did not go out unless necessary. He ordered the brethren to fulfill unacceptably
and cell rule. At the end of the prayer, the ascetic was the first to appear
to work and here he set an example of hard work for the brethren. He also loved Divine books and collected the writings of the fathers and teachers of the Church in his monastery. Spending his nights in prayer, the monk rested, only briefly falling asleep after the meal. His food was as meager as that of the brethren; the clothes were old, covered with patches, like the clothes of beggars, so that none of the strangers recognized the monk as the head of the monastery. The ascetic carefully walked around the monastic services - the bakery and cookery, encouraged the brethren bearing these difficult obediences, and advised them to avoid idle conversations. With special love he visited St. Anthony monastery hospital, instructed sick monks
endure illnesses with gratitude and pray unceasingly, remembering the approaching hour of death. The monk appointed a special overseer to care for the sick. A strict dormitory was established in the monastery - common
and equal food and clothing for everyone. Intoxicating drinks were completely prohibited; it was ordered not to accept them from Christ-lovers, and not even to allow those who brought them to the monastery. “And with this blessed charter it is possible to tear off the head of a drunken serpent and cut off its root,” as the biography of the saint testifies. The ascetic also cared a lot about the poor brethren: he obliged the monks to give generous alms, and he often did this himself secretly from the brethren, fearing to cause their murmur.

Hearing about the strict life of the saint, the laity began to come to him, asking for his prayers, and some joined the brethren. All the monks gathered
There are 70 people in the monastery. Many among them were distinguished by the holiness of their lives and spiritual works; one of them, Jonah, later compiled the life of his spiritual father and mentor.

But the Monk Anthony was burdened by human glory. After several years of managing the monastery, having elected Theognost, an experienced husband, to his place
in spiritual life, he left the abbess and, together with one simple monk, retired from the monastery to a secluded place. First, Rev. Anthony settled
on the island of Lake Dubnitskoye, three fields from the monastery, upstream of the Siya River. The island was very beautiful and convenient for desert living. The monk walked around it, examined it and fell in love: the island was surrounded by lakes, along the banks of which impenetrable forests grew, and swamps overgrown with mosses spread out. The Monk Anthony settled here, built a small hut and a chapel in the name of the saint and wonderworker Nicholas, and even more zealously than before, began to strive in silence, unceasing prayer and labor: he cut down the forest, cleared a place for sowing, dug the earth with his with his hands, he sowed bread and ate from his labors, and sent the remaining bread to the monastery. At night, according to the evening rule, the ascetic grinded flour until matins; on summer nights he was naked to the waist
and gave up his body to be eaten by mosquitoes.

The Lord granted the ascetic the gift of clairvoyance. The young monk of the Siya Monastery, Philotheus, struggling with the tempter, decided to go into the world, take off his hair and get married. But he had the good idea to go to the monk in the desert
and receive his blessing. Seeing Philotheus, the ascetic turned
to him with the following words: “What is it, child, that you came here, confused by an evil thought? You want to go out into the world, cut your hair, and you’re thinking of hiding it from me.” Hearing his secret from the lips of the monk, Philotheus was afraid, fell at his feet and confessed everything. The ascetic lifted him up, encouraged him, and after some instruction, he released him to the monastery.

After some time, Rev. Anthony went to another secluded place
five miles away from the previous one, to Lake Padun, and, having set up a cell there, devoted himself to prayerful deeds. This place was surrounded by mountains; There was such a tall forest growing on the mountains that from below it seemed as if it reached to the heavens. The saint's cell was nestled at the foot of these mountains and was surrounded, as it were, by twelve white birch trees. This second desert of the monk was sad; it was conducive to contemplation of God and prayer. The ascetic made a raft from logs and used it to fish on the lake for food. While fishing, he exposed his head and shoulders to be eaten by mosquitoes and gadflies: insects flew in swarms and covered his body, blood flowed down his neck and shoulders, and the ascetic stood motionless. Thus the monk lived for two years outside his monastery, in both deserts.

Meanwhile, Theognostus refused the abbess. The brethren asked the monk to again accept the abbess. “Father, do not leave us, your children,” the brothers said with tears. - Go to your monastery and stay with us. If you don’t come, we will all disperse, like sheep without a shepherd.” St. Anthony bowed to their request. He again began to manage the monastery, setting everyone an example of a pious and ascetic life. Because of old age, he no longer had the strength to perform hard work, but he did not fall asleep in prayer, and did not weaken in fasting.

Then he appeared to St. Anthony's gift of miracles is the reward of his holy life.

Just before the Feast of the Transfiguration, the monks worked all night
went fishing, but didn't catch anything. They came to the monastery sadly, but the monk, having encouraged them, sent them again to the lake, to the Red Cape, saying: “Children, show obedience and see the glory of God, for the Lord is merciful: the Life-giving Trinity will not forget your labors and will not abandon your brothers , faithfully serving the Lord, in this holy place hungry on the great holiday.”

The monks went to the indicated place, cast a net and caught such a quantity of fish that they ate it for a long time even after that holiday.

From severe deeds and from old age, the body of St. Anthony was withered and weak, he was all hunched over, he could not walk on his own, so his brothers led him. But he
did not stop his exploits and sat and fulfilled the prayer rule.

Seeing the exhaustion of their mentor and expecting his imminent death, the brethren asked the monk to give them a written charter and indicate a successor for themselves in managing the monastery. The monk fulfilled the requests of his grieving disciples: he appointed for them the builder of the monastery, Cyril, and Gelasius as abbot in his place. Gelasius at that time was overseas, on the Zolotitsa River, sent on business. Cyril was in the monastery, and the ascetic addressed him with dying instructions: he urged him to inviolably observe the monastic rules - in church services, in food and drink, to love the brethren equally and to be a servant to all; discuss all monastic affairs with all the brethren at meals and do nothing without consulting them, so that there is no displeasure in the monastery; ordered to visit sick brothers and take special care of them.

Then he turned to the assembled brethren and persuaded them not to weaken
in prayers, have mutual love and like-mindedness, avoid anger and evil words, obey elders, maintain physical and mental purity, have food according to the rules of the monastery and completely avoid drunkenness - do not brew intoxicating drinks in the monastery and do not keep them, observe the communal rules without any violation monastery charter.

To make his orders stronger, the ascetic handed over to the brethren a testament, written in his own hand, containing the rules of monastic life.

For the edification and guidance of modern monks, we present these rules of the Siya ascetic.

“...And those brothers who are grumblers and schismatics (that is, violators of fraternal unity) do not want to live according to the monastic order, or do not obey the builder and the brethren, expel them from the monastery, so that others may also have fear.” However, after sincere repentance they should be accepted again
and hold on like the brethren, as well as those repentant who left
During the life of the saint, the monastery treasury was taken from the monastery. “First of all, have the fear of God in your heart, so that the Holy Spirit may dwell in it,
may He teach you and guide you on the true path. And have love and submission to each other in Christ, which will cover many of your sins. In the community, live equally both spiritually and physically, in food and in clothing - according to the commandment of the holy fathers. For the builder, do not add any food or drink to the meal beyond the fraternal allowance. The same equality in clothes and shoes. Do not keep intoxicating drinks in the monastery, and do not accept them from Christ-lovers. The female sex in the monastery should not spend the night at all, and the laity (men) would not spend the night with the brethren and would not live in cells. Sing to the poor and feed them plenty
and give them alms, so that this holy place does not become scarce. And the brethren who are healthy would not remain without monastic obedience for the sake of their salvation, excluding the sick. Near the monastery, do not allow the peasants to build repairs or yards, except for the cow yard, and let that be beyond the lake. Keep this, I pray you, and may God’s mercy be with you.”

When the brethren asked where to bury his body, the saint replied: “Having tied my feet, drag my sinful body into the wilds and trample it in moss,
in a swamp, to be torn to pieces by beasts and reptiles, or hanged on a tree to be eaten by birds, or thrown with a stone into the lake.” But the monks directly said that
They won’t do this, but will bury him honestly. On the eve of his death, the monk received the Holy Mysteries of Christ. The next day, December 7, 1556, before Matins, having said goodbye to the brethren, the ascetic peacefully surrendered his soul to the Lord, having lived only 79 years; Of these, the monk spent 37 years within the borders of Siya - in the monastery and deserts. The brethren honestly buried his relics in the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity, on the right side, near the altar.

Having apparently left the brethren, the monk did not leave them with his help, as well as all those calling on his name. Many miracles happened with his honest relics. We will indicate the most remarkable ones.

The priest of the neighboring village Khariton was envious of the memory of St. Anthony and once spoke blasphemously about him. After that, Khariton suddenly became blind and soon realized that the Lord was punishing him for blaspheming the saint. Then he began to repent of his sin, fervently prayed to the monk
and regained his sight. Thanks to the Lord God and His saint, Khariton then entered the Siya monastery and here he labored in monastic labors.

During his lifetime, Rev. Anthony loved to paint icons. To this day, holy icons painted by his hand have been preserved. And after his death, he patronized people engaged in this godly work. Thus, the abbot of the Siya monastery, Pitirim, who took care of the beautification of the monastery, painted a lot of new icons and renovated old ones. One day Pitirim fell ill. His illness intensified, and he began to face death. The patient prayed to the Life-Giving Trinity and St. Anthony. And then one night, having fallen into a light sleep, he saw that a splendid old man, adorned with gray hair, was walking from the tomb of the monk to his cell. “Do you want to be healthy and finish what you started?” - he asked Pitirim. “I want to, but I can’t,” answered the sick man. To this the elder said: “The Holy Trinity heals you, do not weaken in your work; I, Abbot Anthony, have come to visit you in illness.” The miracle worker touched the sick abbot. Pitirim felt healthy and with new zeal began to paint icons and decorate the temples of the monastery.

A merchant from Kholmogory, named Karp, sailed on the sea from the Tersky coast, from the Varzuga River. On his boat, among other goods, was a supply of fish for the Siysk monastery. A strong storm arose, the waves rose like mountains and overwhelmed the boat. The rowers were already completely desperate for salvation. Suddenly Karp saw an old man not far from him, who spread his mantle over the boat and guarded it
from the waves. “You call on many for help,” the wondrous old man said to the astonished man, “but you don’t call on me. Meanwhile, in your boat there is a part of our monastery. But God grants silence.” “Who are you, man of God?” - asked the merchant. “I am Anthony, the head of the monastery on Lake Mikhailov, on the Siya River,” said the elder and became invisible. From that time on, the storm began to subside and a fair wind blew. Arriving safely at the Siya monastery, Karp thanked St. Petersburg for his salvation. Anthony and soon took monastic vows at his monastery.

Timofey, nicknamed Ryabok, who lived ten miles from the monastery, became blind and did not see anything for two years. The feast of the Life-Giving Trinity has arrived; The pilgrims went to the Siya monastery. The blind man heard this movement and cried bitterly that he could not walk with God-fearing people. Fervently praying to the Most Holy Trinity and the monk, Timothy asked to be taken to the monastery
and continued his mental prayer all the way. Suddenly he felt that he was beginning to see, as it were, some faint dawn; then his eyes began to turn green: he saw the forest he was walking through. Overjoyed Timofey was afraid to believe his healing and did not say anything to his companions. Wanting to test his eyes, he began to peer at the road he was walking and made out the path. His heart was filled with joy and delight, but he resisted and still did not speak.
about your healing. Arriving at the monastery temple, Timothy saw the miraculous image of the Life-Giving Trinity and other icons, saw burning candles and then
He publicly thanked the Lord and His disciple for his miraculous healing.

Many other miracles occurred through the prayers of this great saint of God to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity.

Numerous miracles performed at the tomb of St. Anthony, prompted the brethren of the Siya monastery under the mentioned abbot Pitirim to petition Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible for the sainthood of the saint. This was done 23 years after the death of the saint,
in 1579: St. Anthony was canonized as a saint, revered by the entire Russian Church.

Anthony of Siysk, wonderworker, originally from the village. Kekht I Dvina volost, located 32 km from Arkhangelsk. Born in 1479 and named Andrei. After the death of his parents, in the 25th year of his life he went to Novgorod, served in a boyar family for 5 years, and under duress entered into a legal marriage. A year later, the young wife died. When he was 30 years old, he returned to his homeland, sold part of his property for the benefit of the poor, and then went to the Onega Kensky Monastery, in the Onega district, near the Kena River. Hegumen of the Transfiguration Monastery Pachomius tonsured him with the name of Anthony the Great (1508). Later, at the request of the abbot and the brethren, he accepted the priestly rank. He was deeply respected for his hard work and prayerful deeds. A few years later, the Monk Anthony asked Abbot Pahrmiy for a blessing to “move away from everyone into the desert.”

Upon his ordination as a hieromonk, he was released with two monks Alexander and Joachim. Soon they came to the Sheleksa River and made their way there through the impenetrable wilds in search of a place pleasing to God. They fell in love with the place at the threshold of the Dark on the Yemtsa River, and, having prayed, they built a hut and a chapel there and began to strive in many exploits and labors. After 7 years, the inhabitants were expelled by local peasants, and they had to move further to the North. Anthony turned to the Lord with a prayer request to help them find a new place for solitude, and the Lord heard their prayers. This is what the legend says about it. Once, wandering through the northern wilds in search of a new place pleasing to God, Anthony met the fisherman Samuel with his disciples. He remembered a wonderful place on Mikhailov Island. It was here, on the cape of Greater Lake Michael, that Anthony and his six disciples Alexander, Joachim, Isaiah, Elisha, Alexander and Jonah erected a wooden Cross and set up cells.

The place where they settled was wild and secluded from people. It was surrounded by swamps and dense forests, in which wild animals lived in great abundance, and deep lakes teemed with fish. Even during the life of St. Anthony, the monks began to build the first wooden church in honor of the Life-Giving Trinity. The main shrine of the temple and monastery was the icon of the Most Holy Trinity, painted, according to legend, by the Monk Anthony himself. This icon became famous for its miracles. From her the blind received their sight, and demons were driven out of possessed people. One day, due to an oversight, the wooden temple burned down. But the miraculous icon that was in it was found completely intact. And this was another sign of God’s favor towards the monastery. Soon the monks restored the temple.

The Monk Anthony was a miracle worker, so all sorts of sick and wretched people began to flock to the monastery. During his abbess, the Monk Anthony went to deserted places for silence: to an island surrounded by Lake Dudnitsa, and to Lake Padun. He stayed there for two years, during which time the monastery was ruled by his disciple Hieromonk Theognostus.

Upon returning to the monastery, Anthony again ruled the monastery himself. On December 7, 1557, the Monk Anthony, who performed many different miracles in his life, reposed, being 79 years old. He lived in his monastery and served as abbot for 37 years. After the repose of St. Anthony, his relics were buried in the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity. In 1529, the Monk Anthony was canonized. His memory is celebrated on December 7.