Metropolitan Mstislav. Clergy from local Orthodox churches took part in the celebration at the Tikhvin Dormition Monastery

Mstislav,
Bishop of Tikhvin and Lodeynopol
(Dyachina Mikhail Valerianovich)

Born November 11, 1967. Ordination date: May 22, 2012. Consecrated as a monk on March 26, 1998. Country: Russia

Biography

Born November 11, 1967 in Ukraine. In 1985-1987 served in the Armed Forces.

In 1992 he graduated from the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary, in 1996 - the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. Appointed head of the chancellery of the St. Petersburg diocese.

On March 26, 1998, he took monastic vows with the name Mstislav in honor of the blessed Prince Mstislav, in the holy baptism of George the Brave, of Novgorod.

On April 12, 1998, Metropolitan Vladimir of St. Petersburg and Ladoga was ordained a hierodeacon, and on December 4, 1998, a hieromonk.

In 1999-2001 - Abbot of the Konevsky Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery.

In 2007, he was appointed secretary of the St. Petersburg diocese.

In 2011 he was elevated to the rank of abbot. Appointed dean of the Lodeynopolsky district of the St. Petersburg diocese and acting. rector of the Holy Trinity Alexander-Svirsky Monastery in the village of Staraya Sloboda, Lodeynopolsky district, Leningrad region. while retaining the position of secretary of the diocese.

By decisions of the Holy Synod of March 16, 2012, he was appointed (magazine No. 16) to the position of rector (abbot) of the Holy Trinity Alexander-Svirsky Monastery and elected (magazine No. 19) Bishop of Lodeynopol, vicar of the St. Petersburg diocese.

He was ordained bishop on April 23, 2012, in the Church of All Saints, in the Land of Russia, the Patriarchal Residence in the Danilov Monastery in Moscow. He was consecrated on May 22 during the Divine Liturgy in the St. Petersburg St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral. The services were led by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of March 12, 2013 (journal No. 16), he was appointed to the newly formed Tikhvin See.

Education

1992- St. Petersburg Theological Seminary.
1996- St. Petersburg Theological Academy.

Last March brought big changes to the St. Petersburg diocese. By the decision of the Holy Synod, it was turned into a metropolitanate and divided into four new dioceses: Vyborg, Tikhvin, Gatchina and St. Petersburg. Today our guest is the spiritual director of one of the newly created dioceses, Bishop of Tikhvin and Lodeynopol Mstislav (Dyachina). The Bishop graciously agreed to tell us about the “spiritual geography” of his diocese and about his path in the Church of Christ. Here is his story.

THE LANDSCAPE OF ANCIENT MONASKING

Just a few weeks ago our Tikhvin diocese appeared on the map of Orthodox Rus'; and you may be thinking now: “Well, has this land really become famous? Is her contribution to the spiritual history of our Fatherland great?” Whether it is great - decide for yourself: on our lands there are nine ancient monasteries. And what kind of monasteries are these? Firstly, the Tikhvin Mother of God Assumption Monastery, in which the guardian of the Russian borders, the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, resides - a shrine, the significance of which we cannot even appreciate with our human mind. Once upon a time, the Queen of Heaven Herself set foot in the Tikhvin region and miraculously brought here her icon, painted by the Evangelist Luke - this alone would be enough to consider our region a holy land. But we also have other glorious abodes.

Staraya Ladoga St. Nicholas Monastery is an ancient monastery, filled with grace, revered by Russian people for a long time. And in the same Staraya Ladoga there is the Assumption Convent, built even before the Tatar invasion. By the way, it will be noted that Staraya Ladoga itself is the first capital of Rus' known to historians; which means that this village itself is a shrine for every Russian person.

We continue to list: the Anthony-Dymsky Holy Trinity Monastery, founded in ancient times by the great ascetic of piety St. Anthony of Dymsky, one of the first Russian monks, the Vvedeno-Oyatsky convent, the Holy Trinity Zelenetsky, founded by St. Martyry, Pokrovsky Tervenichesky, Vvedensky Tikhvin Convent and, of course, Trinity Alexander-Svirsky. I cannot help but say something special about this monastery: a year ago I was appointed its abbot and since then I have never tired of being amazed at the abundance of God’s grace poured out here! I have made pilgrimages to the Holy Land more than once, visited both Jerusalem and the Oak of Mamre... What can compare with that spiritual delight? Only a visit to the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery, prayer at the shrine of St. Alexander. Do not think that I am exaggerating: remember that on this earth there was the appearance of the Most Holy Trinity - a unique event, which in the history of mankind had happened only once before, in deep Old Testament antiquity... Reverend Alexander of Svirsky, after the forefather Abraham, was the only person on earth who saw the Divine Trinity in in the form of Three Angels - and this holy man rests with his body on our earth, and blesses it with his soul from heaven. The Alexander-Svirsky Monastery is our northern Palestine, our land of Epiphany.

So judge now whether the lot of the Tikhvin-Lodeynopol diocese in Holy Rus' is small or great. What can I say: Russia cannot be surprised by its holiness, every corner of it is blessed with the prayer of some glorious ascetic - and our region is also not forgotten by God, the gifts of the Lord are revealed here in abundance.

TODAY?

More than once I have heard that the current inhabitants of our places are almost a savage people in spiritual terms: the glorious deeds of their ancestors have long been forgotten, there is no zeal for the temple of God... How to answer this? I would say this: before condemning people, remember what times they had to live in, what trials they endured... Did you know that in the first years of Soviet power in the Tikhvin region every single monk and clergy was arrested and deported? Do you know that the population of our region is mostly made up of newcomers, non-natives, sent here by the Soviet government to boost local industry? Maybe they were not bad people, but they had no spiritual or blood connection with those who lived here during the heyday of Orthodoxy; they did not perceive our region as a shrine, they had no idea about the spiritual treasures that were hidden here. But are they to blame for their ignorance? It will be our fault if we fail to explain to people what holy land they live on! Let's be wiser, let's show mercy to those of our brothers who are still far from the Church, who grew up with the leaven of atheism. Is it difficult to convince them? But we must do this - with our prayer, with our example: let them feel the breath of grace in their souls at least for a moment. Yes, now our flock is such that it needs preachers, not performers. Our path is the apostolic path, and the apostles were not afraid to preach either in synagogues or among pagan temples. We must go to schools, enterprises, and public organizations; we must conquer every step through spiritual battle and strengthen ourselves on the achieved milestones. Remember that people, no matter how opposed they are to the faith, in their souls still remain both Russian and Orthodox: it is in their blood, even if they themselves do not realize their roots. Be that as it may, the seeds of good lie in their souls, and only we can cultivate this land so that the seeds sprout.

We must approach people with respect, with love, with gratitude. Here is an example: on the territory of the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery, our diocese is organizing a museum of the history of the Vepsian people. This is our tribute of gratitude to the Vepsians - a small nation that gave Russia the great saint, St. Alexander of Svirsky. There are very few Vepsians left now, and we hope that our museum will help them preserve their culture, their language, their ancestral memory. And of course, we think that this museum will become for them a unique and intelligible sermon of Orthodoxy. We have collected many of our own exhibits, and recently the Finnish society “Konevets” promised to send us rare examples of objects of Vepsian culture.

What else can be said about the current state of the diocese? It has not yet been officially registered - we are now collecting the necessary documents, and with God's help, registration will be completed in a few weeks. The territory of the diocese is half the Czech Republic or the whole of Luxembourg: the lands are vast, but the population is small - only about 500 thousand people. The “capital” of the diocese is, of course, Tikhvin (we are currently negotiating with the city authorities to allocate us a building for diocesan administration); but there is also a second “capital” - this is the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery. In addition, our monasteries have several metochions in St. Petersburg (for example, the metochion of the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery on Chelieva Street, 10), and this is very convenient: the diocese, as I said, is very large, and many of our priests are more convenient to go to an appointment with the bishop not in Tikhvin, but in St. Petersburg, to one of the farmsteads. The churches and monasteries of the diocese are ancient buildings that once shone with indescribable beauty, but now mostly lie in ruins. Of course, we cannot revive all this on our own; we need the help of the state, we cannot do without it; and the leadership of the Leningrad region treats our difficulties with understanding.

LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF

…It all depends on our priests: if they serve as an example for their parishioners, if they pray, if they can preach, then the diocese will get back on its feet and be able to live a full life. However, everything depends not only on the priests, but also on the bishop: the bishop largely determines the clergy of his church patrimony; and therefore I think that it would not be amiss for me to tell you a little about myself.

People sometimes ask me: how did it happen that out of two possible paths for a clergyman, I chose not the easiest path - the monastic one?.. What to answer to this? Yes, for me it was as if there was never a choice: since childhood I dreamed of a monastic life. I was born into the family of a priest: my father, Archpriest Valerian Dyachina, and now serves in Luga... My spiritual homeland is the great shrine of the Holy Russian land, the Pochaev Lavra: from an early age I have been coming there for prayer and work... How can I tell about Pochaev? Spiritual experiences are difficult to convey in words... I remember how in childhood I kissed the right hand of St. Job of Pochaev; and when, as an adult, I entered the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery and for the first time venerated the right hand of St. Alexander, I suddenly felt something kindred, something spiritually familiar, as if they were siblings - Saint Job and St. Alexander - although St. Job’s hand is dark, like chocolate, but St. Alexander’s is completely white...

MENTORS

From the age of ten until I went into the army, I was cared for by the famous Pochaev elder Archimandrite Sylvester. Here is a man of amazing destiny! He went through the entire war, served in a reconnaissance company, received three Orders of Glory, and after the Victory he entered a monastery. How did it happen? One day their company was surrounded, and all of Father Sylvester’s comrades died - only he and his friend remained. For three days the soldiers sat in the swamp, hiding from the Germans, but there was no way to get out: there were enemies all around. And so, when the last hope dried up, the Mother of God Herself appeared to the friends! She showed them a safe road, and then ordered sternly: “After the war, go to the Pochaev Lavra - you will be saved there!” And they both fulfilled this covenant: Father Sylvester’s friend also took monastic vows and became Father Bogdan. How they were friends all these years! It was a real spiritual brotherhood, despite the fact that Father Sylvester was Ukrainian, and Father Bogdan was Russian. I remember Father Sylvester telling me the following story: once, back in the Soviet years, he happened to fly from Ukraine to Moscow. He was in monastic vestments, and his appearance shocked all the passengers: “Pop is flying on an airplane!” “Hey, father! - they tell him. - How do you fly on such a monster - with wings and a tail?! Is it possible for a monk to fly on a dragon? “Well,” Father Sylvester answers, “it’s good that I’m on him, and not he’s on me!”

I must admit, I have always been lucky in having spiritual leaders. For a long time I served in the Pskov diocese, was a subdeacon with Archbishop Vladimir of Pskov and Porkhov - the current Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga. I then met many glorious elders there: Father John (Krestyankin), and Father Adrian (Kirsanov)…

But I especially thank the Lord for the fact that for 20 years I had the opportunity to communicate with Father Nikolai Guryanov. I didn’t take a single step without his spiritual advice, and what grace these years were filled with for me!.. Father Nikolai could see the future in both big and small ways - I was able to verify this more than once. Here is a simple example - for some reason it stuck in my soul. Once on Pokrov I really wanted to go to the island of Zalita, but there was a session coming up, exams, I had to pass the Church Slavonic language... Our teacher was very strict - Father Alexander Kudryashov: he always demanded that we show notes of his lectures during the exam . But I didn’t have these notes! I hoped to copy from my comrades. Is it time to travel here? But the desire to communicate with Father Nikolai won, and I, giving up on everything, went to the island. The Feast of the Intercession has passed, it’s time to return, but cats are scratching my soul: what to do with the notes? Suddenly Father Nikolai, to whom I had not said a word about my troubles, comes up to me and says: “Don’t worry, Misha (he always addressed me as you), - go calmly: you will have time for everything. And pass Church Slavonic!” I arrived in Leningrad and found out that our teacher had gone somewhere and the exam was postponed for two weeks. It is clear that I managed to rewrite all the notes, prepared well and passed successfully - according to the word of Father Nikolai!

HOW TO BECOME A BISHOP?

To be honest, at that time I was still thinking about getting married and making acquaintances with girls, but somehow things never went beyond simple friendship... And Father Nikolai always told me: “This is not for you. You will be a bishop." To be honest, I didn’t believe him: what a bishopric - I might still get married!.. But all the girls I met very soon married others, and, I must say, we parted with them without any hard feelings : the friendship continued and continues to this day; they are all now married to priests, all respected priests.

When I became a bishop, none of my friends were surprised: “Well, Father Nikolai predicted this for you!” Only I myself was surprised: I had no idea what a miracle this consecration was! Suddenly something new opens up in your soul, something you didn’t even suspect about - some kind of bright wave lifts you above the world... I have two photographs of me taken on the same day: one before the consecration, the other after . When I saw them, I was amazed to the core: there are two different people in the pictures!

Just before the consecration, just 10 minutes later, one bishop came to me and said this: “Remember, it’s not important what; you, as a bishop, will tell people. And it’s not even important what you do!.. What matters is how you pray! The first place for you is your prayer to God. And the rest is vanity; it should not prevail over prayer.” I always try to remember these words...

On the morning of September 8, 2017in the city of Luga, Leningrad region, “in old age, full of days” (Job 42:17), in the 83rd year of his lifewent to the Lordhieroschemamonk Valerian(Dyachina) - father of the Bishop of Tikhvin and Lodeynopol Mstislav, who served God for 55 years in the holy rank of the throne. For more than thirty years, Father Valerian stayed in Western Ukraine: he was the rector of the Archangel Michael stone church in the village of Belozirka, Lanovets district, Ternopil region, served as rector of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Tuniki in Kremenets and the dean of the churches of the Kremenets region of the Lviv-Ternopil diocese.

Father Hieroschemamonk Valerian was born in 1935 in the village of Bodaki, in Volyn, 25 km from the Pochaev Lavra, into the family of Theodora and Nikanor Dyachin. The third child was named Valerian, in honor of the martyr whose memory was celebrated on this day. The boy was lucky; he grew up in a church-going family, where Orthodox traditions were revered and strictly observed. The parents' house was located 100 m from the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

Mom, Feodora Grigorievna, graduated from a parochial school, and was one of the first students, since previously only boys studied in such institutions. The Lord gave her a wonderful voice, and at the age of eight she sang in the church choir. Her voice was so pure that at the district review of church choirs she was awarded first place as a soloist. And as a gift, she was presented with the Gospel, which she had read since childhood and which became a guide in her life and in the life of her son, the future priest Valerian. Feodora Grigorievna sang in the choir until she was 82 years old. The Lord gave her a long life; she lived 95 years.

Father, Nikanor Vasilyevich, was born in 1893, went through the First World War, and was awarded the St. George Cross. He worked in agriculture. He died when he was 62 years old. Nikanor Vasilievich himself did not serve in the church, but his father, Vasily Damianovich, was a church warden for 25 years.

In addition to Valerian, the family had two older brothers, Leonid and Vladimir, and a younger sister Maria. However, for some reason, it was the youngest son Valerian that the parents took with them when they went to Pochaev on a pilgrimage to the Lavra. And one day the father said to his son: “You will be a priest.” Then the young man did not attach any importance to these words. And they turned out to be prophetic.

Pochaev Lavra. Father Valerian (in the center) with the brethren of the monastery and youths– future bishops of our Church. 1978

The family lived modestly but amicably. Everyone knew their responsibilities around the house and housework. The love of work was instilled in children from an early age. The children helped their parents, studied, drew, glued Christmas tree decorations and, of course, visited the temple.

The years of school were coming to an end, and the young man was faced with the question of how to live further. He had good literary abilities, and his soul was drawn to the temple. The decision was made finally and irrevocably: to give my life to serve the Lord and people. Father Valerian also told this fact. After the last graduation lesson, he and his classmates went to the river, sat on the grass and decided to take turns telling each other who wanted to become who. “I will become an artist, and I will be a military man...” - the boys revealed their secrets; Valerian was the last to say: “I will be a priest.” This statement stunned everyone. “How, at a time like this when churches are closed?! Maybe you'll change your mind? - friends persuaded. “No, I won’t change my mind,” came the firm answer.

After graduating from school, Valerian, like everyone else, was drafted into the Soviet army, where he served conscientiously for three years. They offered to stay and continue their military career. But a young man who had already devoted himself to serving God, like his uncle John Dyachina, who in the 1930s became a priest in distant Canada and served for many years (more than 40 years) in the American Metropolis, and from March 9, 1941 until his death on 17 January 1976 was the rector of the significant Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Toronto, and the Leningrad Theological Seminary was waiting. He entered the seminary, despite serious competition, immediately after demobilization. During his admission, Valerian met seminarian Sergius Buchkovsky, the brother of his future mother. After graduating from the third grade of the seminary in 1961, he married Taisiya, whom he treated with great tenderness and respect.

In the fourth grade of the seminary, Valerian served as a deacon at the academic church of St. ap. and ev. John the Theologian. The ordination to the rank of deacon took place on October 9, 1961, on the patronal feast of the academic church. And upon completion of his studies, on June 6, 1962, he was ordained a priest by Metropolitan Pimen (the future patriarch) in the Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

During his four-year study at the theological academy, Father Valerian served as a priest in the academic church. The daily routine was quite intense. The seminarians got up at seven o'clock in the morning, the priest serving the Liturgy at about 5 o'clock in the morning. Then - morning prayer, breakfast in the dining room, classes, lunch, free time from 15 to 17 hours, after which - preparation for classes. Sleep at 11 o'clock. It was not difficult for Father Valerian to get used to this routine; the army habit of the regime was preserved. In 1962, Mother Taisiya gave birth to a daughter. The girl was named Sofia. While the priest was studying in Leningrad, mother and daughter lived in Ukraine with their parents.

After the Liturgy service. Meadows

Having defended his dissertation written at the Theological Academy on the topic “The Gospel - as the basis of morality for a Christian,” Father Valerian received the degree of candidate of theology. He particularly recalled his years of study at the Theological Academy, because four bishops graduated from his course. One graduate remained to teach at the academy, another became rector of the Vladimir Cathedral in Leningrad, a third in Lomonosov, and another in Moscow.

In 1966, Father Valerian graduated from the Theological Academy and, with the direction of the Educational Committee of the Moscow Patriarchate, returned home. In 1967, his son Mikhail was born, now the Bishop of Tikhvin and Lodeynopol.

In the office of the Lviv diocese, Father Valerian was offered a very good option for ministry: the resort town of Zalischiki in Ukraine. But the promise given to Mother Taisiya’s parents before their marriage (to all live under one roof and to bury the elderly in their homeland) left him no choice. And he became a priest in the village of Belozerka, Lanovets district in the Volyn part of the Ternopil region, 60 km from the regional center, where he served humbly, avoiding the spirit of lust for power and careerism. The village is large, up to 1000 houses. The young priest became the rector of the Church of the Archangel Michael. Then he and his employees were the first in the region to repair the temple. The priest served in Belozerka for nine and a half years, after which, by Decree of Metropolitan Nikolai (Yurika) of Lvov and Ternopil, he was appointed dean of the churches of the Kremenets district, where the famous Pochaev Lavra is located, and transferred to serve in the city of Kremenets.

Located 25 km from Pochaev, Kremenets had a population of 33 thousand people. Father Valerian served as an assistant to Dean Sergius Karinkovsky, who was old and sick. And three months later he was appointed rector of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and dean of the district. Serving as rector of the city parish on Tuniki in Kremenets, he brought the temple into an exemplary form: beautiful splendor and perfect order. As a kind owner, he took care of the welfare of all the churches in the region, which he visited on patronal feast days. Having a theological education, Father Valerian, who preached wonderfully himself, tried to raise the level of preaching in parishes. He especially, like a good father, cared about the deanery among the clergy and the high level of spiritual life of the clergy.

Meadows. At the consecration of the throne

The family lived in Kremenets for 25 years. On March 31, 1972, Metropolitan Nicholas, with the blessing of His Holiness Pimen, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', Father Valerian was awarded the rank of archpriest. They lived modestly, but paid great attention to the upbringing and education of their children. The daughter and son attended music school. For eleven years, until 1988, the priest served as dean of the city of Kremenets and the region, this is a great merit of Mother Taisia. There was a lot of work, sometimes there was not enough time for everything. After all, there were more than 30 parishes in the deanery. Father Valerian stood at the origins of the revival in Kremenets at the St. Nicholas Cathedral of the Regency Courses, which soon became the Regency Theological Course school– structural division of the Pochaev Theological Seminary.

In 1992, Father Valerian was appointed teacher of the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament for choir choir directors, and two years later he became an inspector of the choir department at the Pochaev Theological Seminary, that is, practically a leader. Father Valerian put his whole soul and heart into the educational process and teaching. Father was also the editor of a local Orthodox newspaper. In 1987 he was awarded the Order of Sergius of Radonezh, 3rd degree. For his work as an inspector of the regency department at the Pochaev Theological Seminary, he received the Order of St. Nestor the Chronicler, and in 1991 he was awarded a miter.

In 2000, Mother Taisiya suffered from a serious illness - a stroke. Father Valerian, seeing how his loved one needed help, was torn between home and service. After the untimely death of his mother and the retirement of the clergy of the Ternopil diocese due to age, in 2000 he moved to the St. Petersburg diocese, where his children served: the eldest daughter Sofia, who, after graduating from the regency department at the LDA, married an academy graduate Nikolai Denisenko from priestly family, who became the rector of churches in Luga and the dean of the Luga district), and the son of abbot Mstislav (in the world Mikhail), now the bishop of Tikhvin and Lodeynopol. While living with his daughter, he constantly helped young clergy during services, and was the confessor of the laity and clergy... It should be noted that his daughter, Mother Sophia, also diligently serves the Church and the Lord with her singing talents. She has led and sung in the church choir for many years. In 1996, Archpriest Valerian Dyachina made the first pilgrimage to the Holy Land and in April 2007 visited Jerusalem for the bright holiday of the Resurrection of Christ and the Holy Fire ceremony.

During a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Church of the Resurrection. Distribution of antidor

The personality of the blessedly deceased Father Valerian, his pastoral appearance and zealous service left a special mark on the lives of many young men, to whom he gave recommendations for admission to seminaries and ordination to the priesthood. He became a good role model for many future shepherds of our Church. His prayerful spirit and tenderness during service, calm and at the same time majestic voice, true wisdom and prudence, meekness and humility, heartfelt words of preaching forever remained in the souls of those who communicated with him. He was a real educator and loved students, knew how to instruct them in such a way that all his words, well-wishes and comments became unforgettable and brought wonderful fruits for the Church.

Great happiness for a true spiritual shepherd was the fulfillment of his good desire - taking monastic vows, which the Lord honored him with immediately into the Great Angelic Image before the end of his earthly life.

On Sunday, September 10, the day of remembrance of St. Job of Pochaev, whom the deceased shepherd so loved and honored, his funeral service and burial were performed.

The acquaintances and spiritual children of Father Valerian in Ukraine and in many parts of the world pray to the Conqueror of death, our Lord Jesus Christ, that He may rest with the righteous the soul of His faithful servant in a place “where there is neither illness, nor sorrow, nor sighing, but life is endless”, and created eternal memory for the Newly Deceased.

Bishop Job (Smakouz)