The Orthodox Church during World War II. The Church during the Great Patriotic War. Patriarch Alexy I

Sunday June 22, 1941, the day of the attack of Nazi Germany on the Soviet Union, coincided with the celebration of the memory of All Saints who shone in the Russian land. It would seem that the outbreak of war should have exacerbated the contradictions between and the state, which had been persecuting it for more than twenty years. However, this did not happen. The spirit of love inherent in the Church turned out to be stronger than resentment and prejudice. In the person of the Patriarchal Locum Tenens, the Metropolitan gave an accurate, balanced assessment of the unfolding events and determined her attitude towards them. At a moment of general confusion, confusion and despair, the voice of the Church sounded especially clearly. Having learned about the attack on the USSR, Metropolitan Sergius returned to his modest residence from the Epiphany Cathedral, where he served the Liturgy, immediately went to his office, wrote and typed with his own hand “Message to the shepherds and flocks of Christ’s Orthodox Church.” “Despite his physical disabilities - deafness and immobility,” Archbishop Dimitri (Gradusov) of Yaroslavl later recalled, “Metropolitan Sergius turned out to be unusually sensitive and energetic: he not only managed to write his message, but also sent it to all corners of his vast Motherland.” The message read: “Our Orthodox faith has always shared the fate of the people. She endured trials with him and was consoled by his successes. She will not leave her people even now. She blesses with heavenly blessing the upcoming national feat...” In the terrible hour of the enemy invasion, the wise first hierarch saw behind the alignment of political forces in the international arena, behind the clash of powers, interests and ideologies, the main danger that threatened to destroy thousand-year-old Russia. The choice of Metropolitan Sergius, like every believer in those days, was not simple and unambiguous. During the years of persecution, he and everyone else drank from the same cup of suffering and martyrdom. And now with all his archpastoral and confessional authority he convinced the priests not to remain silent witnesses, much less to indulge in thoughts about possible benefits on the other side of the front. The message clearly reflects the position of the Russian Orthodox Church, based on a deep understanding of patriotism, a sense of responsibility before God for the fate of the earthly Fatherland. Subsequently, at the Council of Bishops of the Orthodox Church on September 8, 1943, the Metropolitan himself, recalling the first months of the war, said: “We did not have to think about what position our Church should take during the war, because before we had time to determine, somehow their position, it had already been determined - the fascists attacked our country, devastated it, took our compatriots captive, tortured and robbed them in every possible way. .. So simple decency would not allow us to take any other position than the one we took, that is, unconditionally negative towards everything that bears the stamp of fascism, a stamp hostile to our country.” In total, during the war years, the Patriarchal Locum Tenens issued up to 23 patriotic messages.

Metropolitan Sergius was not alone in his call to the Orthodox people. Leningrad Metropolitan Alexy (Simansky) called on believers to “lay down their lives for the integrity, for the honor, for the happiness of their beloved Motherland.” In his messages, he first of all wrote about the patriotism and religiosity of the Russian people: “As in the times of Demetrius Donskoy and Saint Alexander Nevsky, as in the era of the struggle against Napoleon, the victory of the Russian people was due not only to the patriotism of the Russian people, but also to their deep faith in helping God’s just cause... We will be unshakable in our faith in the final victory over lies and evil, in the final victory over the enemy.”

Another close associate of the Locum Tenens, Metropolitan Nikolai (Yarushevich), also addressed the flock with patriotic messages, who often went to the front line, performing services in local churches, delivering sermons with which he consoled the suffering people, instilling hope for God’s almighty help, calling on the flock to be faithful to the Fatherland. On the first anniversary of the start of the Great Patriotic War, June 22, 1942, Metropolitan Nicholas addressed a message to the flock living in the territory occupied by the Germans: “It has been a year since the fascist beast flooded our native land with blood. This enemy is desecrating our holy temples of God. And the blood of the murdered, and the devastated shrines, and the destroyed temples of God - everything cries out to heaven for vengeance!.. The Holy Church rejoices that among you, people’s heroes are rising up for the holy cause of saving the Motherland from the enemy - glorious partisans, for whom there is no higher happiness than fight for the Motherland and, if necessary, die for it.”

In distant America, the former head of the military clergy of the White Army, Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov), called upon God's blessing on the soldiers of the Soviet army, on the entire people, the love for whom did not pass or diminish during the years of forced separation. On July 2, 1941, he spoke at a rally of many thousands in Madison Square Garden with an appeal to his compatriots, allies, to all people who sympathized with the fight against fascism, and emphasized the special, providential nature of the events taking place in the East of Europe for all mankind, saying that The fate of the whole world depends on the fate of Russia. Special attention Bishop Benjamin drew on the day the war began - the day of All Saints who shone in the Russian land, believing that this is “a sign of the mercy of the Russian saints towards our common Motherland and gives us great hope that the struggle that has begun will end in a good end for us.”

From the first day of the war, the hierarchs in their messages expressed the attitude of the Church to the outbreak of the war as liberation and fair, and blessed the defenders of the Motherland. The messages consoled believers in sorrow, called them to selfless work in the rear, courageous participation in military operations, supported faith in the final victory over the enemy, thereby contributing to the formation of high patriotic feelings and convictions among thousands of compatriots.

A description of the actions of the Church during the war years will not be complete unless it is said that the actions of the hierarchs who disseminated their messages were illegal, since after the resolution of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars on religious associations in 1929, the area of activity of clergy and religious preachers was limited to the location of the members of the serviced them of the religious association and the location of the corresponding prayer room.

Not only in words, but also in deeds, she did not leave her people, she shared with them all the hardships of the war. Manifestations of the patriotic activity of the Russian Church were very diverse. Bishops, priests, laity, faithful children of the Church, accomplished their feat regardless of the front line: deep in the rear, on the front line, in the occupied territories.

1941 found Bishop Luka (Voino-Yasenetsky) in his third exile, in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. When did the Great Patriotic War, Bishop Luke did not stand aside and did not harbor a grudge. He came to the leadership of the regional center and offered his experience, knowledge and skill to treat soldiers of the Soviet army. At this time, a huge hospital was being organized in Krasnoyarsk. Trains with wounded were already coming from the front. In October 1941, Bishop Luka was appointed consultant to all hospitals in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and chief surgeon of the evacuation hospital. He plunged headlong into the difficult and intense surgical work. The most difficult operations, complicated by extensive suppuration, had to be performed by a renowned surgeon. In mid-1942, the period of exile ended. Bishop Luke was elevated to the rank of archbishop and appointed to the Krasnoyarsk see. But, heading the department, he, as before, continued surgical work, returning the defenders of the Fatherland to duty. The archbishop's hard work in Krasnoyarsk hospitals produced brilliant scientific results. At the end of 1943, the 2nd edition of “Essays on Purulent Surgery” was published, revised and significantly expanded, and in 1944 the book “Late resections of infected gunshot wounds joints." For these two works, Saint Luke was awarded the Stalin Prize, 1st degree. Vladyka donated part of this prize to help children who suffered in the war.

Metropolitan Alexy of Leningrad carried out his archpastoral labors just as selflessly in besieged Leningrad, spending most of the blockade with his long-suffering flock. At the beginning of the war, there were five active churches left in Leningrad: St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral, Prince Vladimir and Transfiguration Cathedrals and two cemetery churches. Metropolitan Alexy lived at St. Nicholas Cathedral and served there every Sunday, often without a deacon. With his sermons and messages, he filled the souls of the suffering Leningraders with courage and hope. IN Palm Sunday His archpastoral address was read in churches, in which he called on believers to selflessly help soldiers with honest work in the rear. He wrote: “Victory is achieved not by the power of one weapon, but by the power of universal upsurge and powerful faith in victory, by trust in God, who crowns with the triumph of the weapon of truth, “saving” us “from cowardice and from the storm” (). And our army itself is strong not only in numbers and the power of weapons, but the spirit of unity and inspiration that lives the entire Russian people flows into it and ignites the hearts of the soldiers.”

The activity of the clergy during the days of the siege, which had deep spiritual and moral significance, was also forced to be recognized by the Soviet government. Many clergy, led by Metropolitan Alexy, were awarded the medal “For the Defense of Leningrad.”

Metropolitan Nikolai of Krutitsky and many representatives of the Moscow clergy were awarded a similar award, but for the defense of Moscow. In the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate we read that the rector of the Moscow Church in the name of the Holy Spirit at the Danilovsky cemetery, Archpriest Pavel Uspensky, did not leave Moscow during the troubled days, although he usually lived outside the city. A 24-hour watch was organized in the temple; they were very careful to ensure that random visitors did not linger in the cemetery at night. A bomb shelter was set up in the lower part of the temple. To provide first aid in case of accidents, a sanitary station was created at the temple, where there were stretchers, dressing and necessary medications. The priest's wife and his two daughters took part in the construction of anti-tank ditches. The energetic patriotic activity of the priest will become even more significant if we mention that he was 60 years old. Archpriest Pyotr Filonov, rector of the Moscow church in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy” in Maryina Roshcha, had three sons who served in the army. He also organized a shelter in the temple, just like all citizens of the capital, in turn he stood at security posts. And along with this, he carried out extensive explanatory work among believers, pointing out the harmful influence of enemy propaganda that penetrated the capital in leaflets scattered by the Germans. The word of the spiritual shepherd was very fruitful in those difficult and anxious days.

Hundreds of clergy, including those who managed to return to freedom by 1941 after serving time in camps, prisons and exile, were drafted into the ranks of the active army. Thus, having already been imprisoned, S.M. began his combat journey along the war fronts as deputy company commander. Eternally, the future Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Pimen. Viceroy of the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery in 1950–1960. Archimandrite Alipiy (Voronov) fought for all four years, defended Moscow, was wounded several times and was awarded orders. The future Metropolitan of Kalinin and Kashin Alexy (Konoplev) was a machine gunner at the front. When he returned to the priesthood in 1943, the medal “For Military Merit” glittered on his chest. Archpriest Boris Vasiliev, before the war a deacon of the Kostroma Cathedral, commanded a reconnaissance platoon in Stalingrad, and then fought as deputy chief of regimental intelligence. In the report of the Chairman of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church G. Karpov to the Secretary of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks A.A. Kuznetsov on the state of the Russian Church dated August 27, 1946, indicated that many members of the clergy were awarded orders and medals of the Great Patriotic War.

In the occupied territory, clergymen were sometimes the only link between the local population and the partisans. They sheltered the Red Army soldiers and themselves joined the partisan ranks. Priest Vasily Kopychko, rector of the Odrizhinskaya Assumption Church in the Ivanovo district in the Pinsk region, in the first month of the war, through an underground group of a partisan detachment, received a message from Moscow from the Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Sergius, read it to his parishioners, despite the fact that the Nazis shot those who had the text appeals. From the beginning of the war until its victorious conclusion, Father Vasily spiritually strengthened his parishioners, performing divine services at night without lighting, so as not to be noticed. Almost all residents of the surrounding villages came to the service. The brave shepherd introduced parishioners to the reports of the Information Bureau, talked about the situation at the fronts, called on them to resist the invaders, and read messages from the Church to those who found themselves under occupation. One day, accompanied by partisans, he came to their camp, became thoroughly acquainted with the life of the people's avengers, and from that moment became a partisan liaison. The rectory became a partisan hangout. Father Vasily collected food for the wounded partisans and sent weapons. At the beginning of 1943, the Nazis managed to uncover his connection with the partisans. and the Germans burned down the abbot’s house. Miraculously, they managed to save the shepherd’s family and transport Father Vasily himself to the partisan detachment, which subsequently united with the active army and participated in the liberation of Belarus and Western Ukraine. For his patriotic activities, the clergyman was awarded medals “Partisan of the Great Patriotic War”, “For Victory over Germany”, “For Valiant Labor in the Great Patriotic War”.

Personal feat was combined with fundraising from parishes for the needs of the front. Initially, believers transferred money to the account of the State Defense Committee, the Red Cross and other funds. But on January 5, 1943, Metropolitan Sergius sent a telegram to Stalin asking for permission to open a bank account into which all the money donated for defense in all churches in the country would be deposited. Stalin gave his written consent and, on behalf of the Red Army, thanked the Church for its labors. By January 15, 1943, in Leningrad alone, besieged and starving, believers donated 3,182,143 rubles to the church fund for the defense of the country.

The creation of the tank column “Dmitry Donskoy” and the squadron “Alexander Nevsky” with church funds constitutes a special page in history. There was almost not a single rural parish on the land free from fascists that did not make its contribution to the national cause. In the memories of those days, the archpriest of the church in the village of Troitsky, Dnepropetrovsk region, I.V. Ivleva says: “There was no money in the church treasury, but it was necessary to get it... I blessed two 75-year-old old women for this great cause. Let their names be known to people: Kovrigina Maria Maksimovna and Gorbenko Matryona Maksimovna. And they went, they went after all the people had already made their contribution through the village council. Two Maksimovnas went to ask in the name of Christ to protect their dear Motherland from rapists. We went around the entire parish - villages, farmsteads and settlements located 5-20 kilometers from the village, and as a result - 10 thousand rubles, a significant amount in our places devastated by German monsters.”

Funds were collected for the tank column and in the occupied territory. An example of this is the civic feat of priest Feodor Puzanov from the village of Brodovichi-Zapolye. In the occupied Pskov region, for the construction of a column, he managed to collect among the believers a whole bag of gold coins, silver, church utensils and money. These donations, totaling about 500,000 rubles, were transferred by the partisans to the mainland. With each year of the war, the amount of church contributions grew noticeably. But of particular importance in the final period of the war was the collection of funds that began in October 1944 to help the children and families of Red Army soldiers. On October 10, in his letter to I. Stalin, Metropolitan Alexy of Leningrad, who headed Russia after the death of Patriarch Sergius, wrote: “May this concern on the part of all believers of our Union for the children and families of our native soldiers and defenders facilitate their great feat, and may it unite us even more close spiritual ties with those who do not spare their blood for the freedom and prosperity of our Motherland.” The clergy and laity of the occupied territories after liberation were also actively involved in patriotic work. Thus, in Orel, after the expulsion of fascist troops, 2 million rubles were collected.

Historians and memoirists have described all the battles on the battlefields of World War II, but no one is able to describe the spiritual battles committed by the great and nameless prayer books during these years.

On June 26, 1941, in the Epiphany Cathedral, Metropolitan Sergius served a prayer service “For the Granting of Victory.” From that time on, similar prayers began to be performed in all churches of the Moscow Patriarchate according to specially compiled texts “A prayer service for the invasion of adversaries, sung in the Russian Orthodox Church during the days of the Great Patriotic War.” In all churches there was a prayer composed by Archbishop Augustine (Vinogradsky) in the year of the Napoleonic invasion, a prayer for the granting of victories to the Russian army, which stood in the way of civilized barbarians. From the first day of the war, without interrupting its prayer for a single day, during all church services, our church fervently prayed to the Lord for the granting of success and victory to our army: “O give unabated, irresistible and victorious strength, strength and courage with courage to our army to crush our enemies and adversaries and all their cunning slander...”

Metropolitan Sergius not only called, but he himself was a living example of prayerful service. Here is what his contemporaries wrote about him: “On his way from the northern camps to the Vladimir exile, Archbishop Philip (Gumilevsky) was in Moscow; he went to the office of Metropolitan Sergius in Baumansky Lane, hoping to see Vladyka, but he was away. Then Archbishop Philip left a letter to Metropolitan Sergius, which contained the following lines: “Dear Vladyka, when I think of you standing at night prayers, I think of you as a holy righteous man; when I think about your daily activities, I think of you as a holy martyr...”

During the war, when the decisive Battle of Stalingrad was nearing its end, on January 19, the Patriarchal Locum Tenens in Ulyanovsk led a religious procession to the Jordan. He fervently prayed for the victory of the Russian army, but an unexpected illness forced him to go to bed. On the night of February 2, 1943, the Metropolitan, as his cell attendant, Archimandrite John (Razumov) said, having overcome his illness, asked for help to get out of bed. Rising with difficulty, he made three bows, thanking God, and then said: “The Lord of the armies, mighty in battle, has overthrown those who rise up against us. May the Lord bless his people with peace! Maybe this beginning will be a happy ending." In the morning, the radio broadcast a message about the complete defeat of German troops at Stalingrad.

The Monk Seraphim Vyritsky accomplished a wondrous spiritual feat during the Great Patriotic War. Imitating St. Seraphim of Sarov, he prayed in the garden on a stone in front of his icon for the forgiveness of human sins and for the deliverance of Russia from the invasion of adversaries. With hot tears, the great elder begged the Lord for the revival of the Russian Orthodox Church and for the salvation of the whole world. This feat required from the saint indescribable courage and patience; it was truly martyrdom for the sake of love for one’s neighbors. From the stories of the ascetic’s relatives: “...In 1941, grandfather was already 76 years old. By that time, the disease had weakened him greatly, and he could practically not move without assistance. In the garden behind the house, about fifty meters away, a granite boulder protruded from the ground, in front of which a small apple tree grew. It was on this stone that Father Seraphim raised his petitions to the Lord. They led him by the arms to the place of prayer, and sometimes they simply carried him. An icon was fixed on the apple tree, and grandfather stood with his sore knees on the stone and stretched out his hands to the sky... What did it cost him! After all, he suffered chronic diseases legs, heart, blood vessels and lungs. Apparently, the Lord Himself helped him, but it was impossible to look at all this without tears. We repeatedly begged him to leave this feat - after all, it was possible to pray in the cell, but in this case he was merciless both to himself and to us. Father Seraphim prayed as much as he could - sometimes an hour, sometimes two, and sometimes several hours in a row, he gave himself completely, without reserve - it was truly a cry to God! We believe that through the prayers of such ascetics Russia survived and St. Petersburg was saved. We remember: grandfather told us that one prayer book for the country could save all the cities and towns... Despite the cold and heat, wind and rain, and many serious illnesses, the elder insistently demanded that we help him get to the stone. So day after day, throughout the long, grueling war years...”

Then many people turned to God ordinary people, military personnel, those who departed from God during the years of persecution. Theirs was sincere and often bore the repentant character of a “prudent thief.” One of the signalmen who received combat reports from Russian military pilots over the radio said: “When pilots in downed planes saw their inevitable death, their last words were often: “Lord, accept my soul.” The commander of the Leningrad Front, Marshal L.A., repeatedly publicly demonstrated his religious feelings. Govorov, after Battle of Stalingrad started visiting Orthodox churches Marshal V.N. Chuikov. The belief became widespread among believers that throughout the war Marshal G.K. carried the image of the Kazan Mother of God with him in his car. Zhukov. In 1945, he again lit the unquenchable lamp in the Leipzig Orthodox church-monument dedicated to the “Battle of the Nations” with the Napoleonic army. G. Karpov, reporting to the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks on the celebration of Easter in Moscow and Moscow region churches on the night of April 15-16, 1944, emphasized that in almost all churches, in varying numbers, there were military officers and enlisted personnel.

The war re-evaluated all aspects of the life of the Soviet state and returned people to the realities of life and death. The revaluation took place not only at the level of ordinary citizens, but also at the government level. An analysis of the international situation and the religious situation in the occupied territory convinced Stalin that it was necessary to support the Russian Orthodox Church, headed by Metropolitan Sergius. On September 4, 1943, Metropolitans Sergius, Alexy and Nikolai were invited to the Kremlin to meet with I.V. Stalin. As a result of this meeting, permission was received to convene the Council of Bishops, elect a Patriarch at it and resolve some other church problems. At the Council of Bishops on September 8, 1943. His Holiness Patriarch Metropolitan Sergius was elected. On October 7, 1943, the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church was formed under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, which indirectly testified to the government's recognition of the existence of the Russian Orthodox Church and the desire to regulate relations with it.

At the beginning of the war, Metropolitan Sergius wrote: “Let the thunderstorm approach, We know that it brings not only disasters, but also benefits: it refreshes the air and expels all sorts of miasma.” Millions of people were able to rejoin the Church of Christ. Despite the almost 25-year dominance of atheism, Russia has transformed. The spiritual nature of the war was that through suffering, deprivation, and sorrow, people eventually returned to faith.

In its actions, the Church was guided by participation in the fullness of moral perfection and love inherent in God, by the apostolic tradition: “We also beseech you, brothers, admonish the disorderly, comfort the faint-hearted, support the weak, be patient with everyone. See to it that no one repays evil for evil; but always seek the good of each other and everyone” (). Preserving this spirit meant and means remaining One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic.

Sources and literature:

1 . Damaskin I.A., Koshel P.A. Encyclopedia of the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945. M.: Red Proletarian, 2001.

2 . Veniamin (Fedchenkov), Metropolitan. At the turn of two eras. M.: Father's House, 1994.

3 . Ivlev I.V., prot. About patriotism and patriots with big and small deeds // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. 1944. No. 5. P.24–26.

4 . History of the Russian Orthodox Church. From the restoration of the Patriarchate to the present day. T.1. 1917–1970. St. Petersburg: Resurrection, 1997.

5 . Marushchak Vasily, protod. Saint-Surgeon: Life of Archbishop Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky). M.: Danilovsky blagovestnik, 2003.

6 . Newly glorified saints. Life of the Hieromartyr Sergius (Lebedev) // Moscow Diocesan Gazette. 2001. No. 11–12. pp.53–61.

7 . The most revered saints of St. Petersburg. M.: “Favor-XXI”, 2003.

8 . Pospelovsky D.V. Russian Orthodox in the 20th century. M.: Republic, 1995.

9 . Russian Orthodox Church in Soviet times (1917–1991). Materials and documents on the history of relations between the state and / Comp. G. Stricker. M.: Propylaea, 1995.

10 . Seraphim's blessing/Comp. and general ed. Bishop of Novosibirsk and Berdsk Sergius (Sokolov). 2nd ed. M.: Pro-Press, 2002.

11 . Tsypin V., prot. History of the Russian Church. Book 9. M.: Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery, 1997.

12 . Shapovalova A. Rodina appreciated their merits // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. 1944. No. 10.S. 18–19.

13 . Shkarovsky M.V. Russian Orthodox under Stalin and Khrushchev. M.: Krutitskoye Patriarchal Compound, 1999.

In distant America, the former head of the military clergy of the White Army, Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov), called upon God's blessing on the soldiers of the Soviet army, on the entire people, the love for whom did not pass or diminish during the years of forced separation. On July 2, 1941, he spoke at a rally of many thousands in Madison Square Garden with an appeal to his compatriots, allies, to all people who sympathized with the fight against fascism, and emphasized the special, providential nature of the events taking place in the East of Europe for all mankind, saying that The fate of the whole world depends on the fate of Russia. Vladyka Benjamin paid special attention to the day the war began - the day of All Saints who shone in the Russian land, believing that this is “a sign of the mercy of the Russian saints towards our common Motherland and gives us great hope that the struggle that has begun will end with a good end for us.”

1941 found Bishop Luka (Voino-Yasenetsky) in his third exile, in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. When the Great Patriotic War began, Bishop Luke did not stand aside and did not harbor a grudge. He came to the leadership of the regional center and offered his experience, knowledge and skill to treat soldiers of the Soviet army. At this time, a huge hospital was being organized in Krasnoyarsk. Trains with wounded were already coming from the front. In October 1941, Bishop Luka was appointed consultant to all hospitals in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and chief surgeon of the evacuation hospital. He plunged headlong into the difficult and intense surgical work. The most difficult operations, complicated by extensive suppuration, had to be performed by a renowned surgeon. In mid-1942, the period of exile ended. Bishop Luke was elevated to the rank of archbishop and appointed to the Krasnoyarsk see. But, heading the department, he, as before, continued surgical work, returning the defenders of the Fatherland to duty. The archbishop's hard work in Krasnoyarsk hospitals produced brilliant scientific results. At the end of 1943, the 2nd edition of “Essays on Purulent Surgery”, revised and significantly expanded, was published, and in 1944 the book “Late Resections of Infected Gunshot Wounds of Joints” was published. For these two works, Saint Luke was awarded the Stalin Prize, 1st degree. Vladyka donated part of this prize to help children who suffered in the war.

Metropolitan Alexy of Leningrad carried out his archpastoral labors just as selflessly in besieged Leningrad, spending most of the blockade with his long-suffering flock. At the beginning of the war, there were five active churches left in Leningrad: St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral, Prince Vladimir and Transfiguration Cathedrals and two cemetery churches. Metropolitan Alexy lived at St. Nicholas Cathedral and served there every Sunday, often without a deacon. With his sermons and messages, he filled the souls of the suffering Leningraders with courage and hope. On Palm Sunday, his archpastoral address was read in churches, in which he called on believers to selflessly help soldiers with honest work in the rear. He wrote: “Victory is achieved not by the power of one weapon, but by the power of universal upsurge and powerful faith in victory, by trust in God, who crowns with the triumph of the weapon of truth, “saving” us “from cowardice and from the storm” (). And our army itself is strong not only in numbers and the power of weapons, but the spirit of unity and inspiration that lives the entire Russian people flows into it and ignites the hearts of the soldiers.”

Metropolitan Nikolai of Krutitsky and many representatives of the Moscow clergy were awarded a similar award, but for the defense of Moscow. In the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate we read that the rector of the Moscow Church in the name of the Holy Spirit at the Danilovsky cemetery, Archpriest Pavel Uspensky, did not leave Moscow during the troubled days, although he usually lived outside the city. A 24-hour watch was organized in the temple; they were very careful to ensure that random visitors did not linger in the cemetery at night. A bomb shelter was set up in the lower part of the temple. To provide first aid in case of accidents, a sanitary station was created at the temple, where there were stretchers, dressings and the necessary medicines. The priest's wife and his two daughters took part in the construction of anti-tank ditches. The energetic patriotic activity of the priest will become even more significant if we mention that he was 60 years old. Archpriest Pyotr Filonov, rector of the Moscow church in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy” in Maryina Roshcha, had three sons who served in the army. He also organized a shelter in the temple, just like all citizens of the capital, in turn he stood at security posts. And along with this, he carried out extensive explanatory work among believers, pointing out the harmful influence of enemy propaganda that penetrated the capital in leaflets scattered by the Germans. The word of the spiritual shepherd was very fruitful in those difficult and anxious days.

The Monk Seraphim Vyritsky accomplished a wondrous spiritual feat during the Great Patriotic War. Imitating St. Seraphim of Sarov, he prayed in the garden on a stone in front of his icon for the forgiveness of human sins and for the deliverance of Russia from the invasion of adversaries. With hot tears, the great elder begged the Lord for the revival of the Russian Orthodox Church and for the salvation of the whole world. This feat required from the saint indescribable courage and patience; it was truly martyrdom for the sake of love for one’s neighbors. From the stories of the ascetic’s relatives: “...In 1941, grandfather was already 76 years old. By that time, the disease had weakened him greatly, and he could practically not move without assistance. In the garden behind the house, about fifty meters away, a granite boulder protruded from the ground, in front of which a small apple tree grew. It was on this stone that Father Seraphim raised his petitions to the Lord. They led him by the arms to the place of prayer, and sometimes they simply carried him. An icon was fixed on the apple tree, and grandfather stood with his sore knees on the stone and stretched out his hands to the sky... What did it cost him! After all, he suffered from chronic diseases of the legs, heart, blood vessels and lungs. Apparently, the Lord Himself helped him, but it was impossible to look at all this without tears. We repeatedly begged him to leave this feat - after all, it was possible to pray in the cell, but in this case he was merciless both to himself and to us. Father Seraphim prayed as much as he could - sometimes an hour, sometimes two, and sometimes several hours in a row, he gave himself completely, without reserve - it was truly a cry to God! We believe that through the prayers of such ascetics Russia survived and St. Petersburg was saved. We remember: grandfather told us that one prayer book for the country could save all the cities and towns... Despite the cold and heat, wind and rain, and many serious illnesses, the elder insistently demanded that we help him get to the stone. So day after day, throughout the long, grueling war years...”

Then many ordinary people, military personnel, and those who had left God during the years of persecution also turned to God. Theirs was sincere and often bore the repentant character of a “prudent thief.” One of the signalmen who received combat reports from Russian military pilots over the radio said: “When pilots in downed planes saw their inevitable death, their last words were often: “Lord, accept my soul.” The commander of the Leningrad Front, Marshal L.A., repeatedly publicly demonstrated his religious feelings. Govorov, after the Battle of Stalingrad Marshal V.N. began visiting Orthodox churches. Chuikov. The belief became widespread among believers that throughout the war Marshal G.K. carried the image of the Kazan Mother of God with him in his car. Zhukov. In 1945, he again lit the unquenchable lamp in the Leipzig Orthodox church-monument dedicated to the “Battle of the Nations” with the Napoleonic army. G. Karpov, reporting to the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks on the celebration of Easter in Moscow and Moscow region churches on the night of April 15-16, 1944, emphasized that in almost all churches, in varying numbers, there were military officers and enlisted personnel.

The war re-evaluated all aspects of the life of the Soviet state and returned people to the realities of life and death. The revaluation took place not only at the level of ordinary citizens, but also at the government level. An analysis of the international situation and the religious situation in the occupied territory convinced Stalin that it was necessary to support the Russian Orthodox Church, headed by Metropolitan Sergius. On September 4, 1943, Metropolitans Sergius, Alexy and Nikolai were invited to the Kremlin to meet with I.V. Stalin. As a result of this meeting, permission was received to convene the Council of Bishops, elect a Patriarch at it and resolve some other church problems. At the Council of Bishops on September 8, 1943, Metropolitan Sergius was elected His Holiness the Patriarch. On October 7, 1943, the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church was formed under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, which indirectly testified to the government's recognition of the existence of the Russian Orthodox Church and the desire to regulate relations with it.