The Solovetsky Martyrs

Many are unaware of the story of some of the greatest Martyrs that the Church has seen: the holy Saints of Solovetsky Monastery.

Above: Family tree of Denisov brothers

I here tell the story of the Solovetsky Martyrs with illustrations from the "Sufferings of the Solovetsky Fathers" by Simeon Denisov (Симeон Денисов), a famous writer who, along with his brother Andrei Denisov (Андрей Денисов) wrote the Pomorian Answers, which was an apologetic for Old Believers.

They also founded Vygotsky Monastery, which was based on Solovetsky's charter. This monastery remained priestless, a sect that maintained that there was no more earthly liturgy, and split into multiple more branches, many of which practiced self-immolation. Luckily, Simeon and Andrei refrain from defending that tragic and sinful practice.

They are often considered Saints by priestless.

The book was handwritten, due to the ban on giving printing presses to Old Believers, and due to simple tradition.

I will also use other images to illustrate this story.

In 1636, Nikita Minin received tonsure as Nikon and went to the Trinity Skete, an island of Solovetsky Monastery, founded by St. Eleazar. St. Eleazar was Nikon's spiritual father, and Nikon was an excellent student. He practiced iconography, woodcarving, and strove to fast as much as possible.

At one point, St. Eleazar took Nikon to Moscow with him to collect alms for a new church in Solovetsky Monastery. When they returned, they realized the collected money was not nearly enough. Therefore, St. Eleazar let it stay without spending it, to gather more at some later point. Nikon wanted to begin construction immediately with insufficient funds, and grew in anger so much he reportedly stole a boat and rowed to the mainland.

Perhaps this is why he carried such a dislike of Solovetsky Monastery.

After the fleeing of Nikon, the monks couldn't help but discuss a vision St. Eleazar had during Nikon's time at the monastery: during liturgy, the Saint saw a snake curled around Nikon's cassock, whispering to Nikon.

Above: Portrait of Patriarch Nikon

Nikon later became the archimandrite of Novospassky Monastery, and later Metropolitan of Veliky Novgorod, which Solovetsky Monastery was in. He was appointed by his friend, Tsar Alexei. Athonius, the assumed Metropolitan, was passed up for personal relations of the Tsar.

Athonius, when he died, at Khutysky Monastery, asked Nikon not to commemorate his burial, for he was the "enemy of God". No one knew what this meant at the time, but they would soon know.

Nikon, as Metropolitan of Veliky Novgorod, always impeded Solovetsky Monastery. For example, he required that the Solovetsky Monastery use only expensive wheat propshora for use given to pilgrims after the Liturgy This angered the Solovetsky brethren, for wheat was typically only used for the Liturgy, while rye was used to feed thousands of pilgrims.

Above: Prosphora

This cost the monastery a lot of money, and in 1652 Nikon directly took control of the courts that ruled over Solovetsky Monastery.

Then came something the monks regarded as perhaps blasphemous. Nikon ordered the moving of the relics of St. Metropolitan Phillip, killed by Ivan the Terrible, in 1569. Solovetsky was St. Phillip's home monastery, and the monks had worked hard to bring these relics here, and now Nikon moves them to Moscow.

Later, Nikon released from exile in Solovetsky a known uniate Greek who had apostasized multiple times, and was not baptized correctly. His name was Arseny the Greek, and his machinations powered part of the heretical church reforms.

Above: Nikonian innovations

The reforms occurred, with the blessing of That Alexei. The monks sobbed and cried at the news that an imprisoned heretic now controlled the Divine books.

The monks received the new Nikonian books, and compared them. They realized the grirvous and heretical calculations within them, and rejected them.

The higher ups of the monastery ordered the monks to not accept the blasphemous new books. Archimandrite Elijah put them under lock and key after they arrived in 1657.

For several years, the holy monks lived in relative peace. But after Archimandrite Elijah died, Bartholomew was put in his place, in 1660. Nikanor, another monk, returned to Solovetsky at the same time. At the robbers' council of Moscow in 1666-1667, Bartholomew condemned the Solovetsky Monastery, St. Avvakum, and the Old Believers.

The monks petitioned Moscow for a new head. They obliged, but gave them Joseph, who also anathematized the Church at the robbers' council.

Above: Nikonian monks smoking and drinking

The following paragraph may very well be apocryphal Bartholomew, with Joseph, arrived shortly after the council with drums of honey, wine, and beer. They drank, with other Nikonians, the alcohol, and then were arrested by the pious monks.

Nikanor was also forced to attend the robbers' council. He did not condemn the Church, but was forced to don the bucket-hood, something the Greeks adopted under Turkish dominance. As soon as Nikanor arrived, he flung the hood off and donned a pious hood. He became de facto abbot of Solovetsky Monastery.

The monks decided that they needed to declare their allegiance to Orthodox Christianity.

“Merciful sovereign, tsar and grand duke Alexei Mikhailovich, of Great, and Little, and all Russia you are the autocrat! We pray to you, great sovereign, pious sovereign, and weep with tears, have mercy on us, the poor of our pilgrims and orphans, do not order us, sire we have traditions and the order of St. Zosima and St. Savvaty are not to change!

They led us, sire, to be in our old faith, in which your father was, your sovereign was, and all the pious kings and grand dukes and our fathers were, and the venerable fathers Zosima and Savvaty, and Herman, and Philip metropolitan and all the holy fathers that pleased God. But if you, our great sovereign, the anointed one of God, do favor us in the faith of the holy fathers, in the old faith, if you are not in favor of changing the book, if you please, sovereign, have mercy on us, sovereign, sire, more than wrwe teache send in vain. We will not change the Orthodox faith.

And, sir, they sent their royal sword upon us, and from this rebellious life they sent us to this serene and eternal life. And we are not repugnant to you, the great sovereign. To you, sir, from all our souls, you, great sir, we ask for your grace and all with repentance and perception of the great angelic rite for yourself at the hour of death. ”

The Streltsy were sent to Solovetsky in 1668. The 8-year-siege of Solovetsky Monastery had begun. Ignatius Volokhov was the commander of the Tsar's forces.

When the army arrived, they found the Monastery locked and fortified.

Volokhov set up cannons around the Monastery. He demanded the monks surrender and convert to Nikonianism, but they refused to apostasize. In 1672 Ignatius was replaced with Clement Ivelev. He burned all of the outbuildings, and the fishing nets, to better set up his attack.

Clement began to set up siege preparations, by undermining walls, and firing cannons. However, he could not overcome the strong defense of the modern fortress of Solovetsky, or the protection of the Theotokos (Nikanor blessed the walls with holy water and prayers to the Theotokos every day).

The monks defended themselves.

The army simply could not get past the great walls. The night before, Nikanor had a vision of St. Savvaty and St. Zosima blessing the monks of the monastery, along with St. Herman.

Above: Nikanor's vision

The Nikonians decided to use subterfuge. Feoktist, in the way of Judas, was bribed to show the Streltsy a secret entrance to the Monastery. Ivelev was replaced with Mescherinov.

Feoktist showed them the way, and the monks prepared for martyrdom. Many joined a procession of crosses and icons, but the soldiers killed many on their way. Monks were roused from sleep to defend their home, and the Orthodox faith.

Above: A monk does the sign of the cross as he is roused from his sleep.

Above: Novices defend Solovetsky Monastery.

Above: The soldiers prepare to make martyrs of these monks.

The Streltsy looted the monastery of holy objects to be sold. Mescherinov admired the gorey ruin he had made and the many monks he had captured.

Mescherinov was most angry at Samuel Vasilyev, who organized the sophisticated monastic defense. He ordered him stripped, and drowned in the moat.

Above: Solovetsky monks captured

Above: St. Samuel Vasilyev captured

Above: St. Samuel Vasilyev martyred

The Streltsy were also especially angry at Nikanor. He was old and aged from years of prayer and fasting, and could not walk, so he was dragged on a sled to the commander.

Nikanor's conversation with the commander went as follows:

“Tell me, Nicanor, why did you oppose the sovereign? Why didn’t they let the army into the monastery, and when they wanted to come, they beat them off with a weapon? ”

The elder replied to this: “They never resisted the sovereign and never even thought of resisting. But since the innovations of Patriarch Nikon do not allow those living in the world to observe the apostolic and paternal traditions, we left the world and settled on this sea island. You, who came to corrupt the church regulations and destroy the saving practices, were not properly allowed. ”

Mescherinov grew fierce at this bold and truthful response. He began cursing Nikanor. Nikanor responded:

"I am not afraid of you, because I have the soul of the autocrat in my hand! ”

By this, Nikanor meant that Tsar Alexei would be damning himself by martyring the monks.

Mescherinov began to beat Nikanor with Mescherinov's cane.

He ordered Nikanor thrown into a ditch, watched until he died. The soldiers mocked Christ and beat Nikanor's head on the stones. He died a Saint hours later.

Mescherinov realized the bravery of the monks and began to martyr them indiscriminately.

He quartered some, threw some in rivers, beat others to death. See the variety of horrible punishments below:

Out of several hundred monks, fourteen survived.

But Tsar Alexei repented. On his deathbed a week later, he screamed. The holy Saints, the Martyrs of Solovetsky Monastery, appeared to him.

Old Believer deacon Theodore writes as follows:

Our Moscow Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, deceived by Nikon, a heretic and apostate, at his death knew his truth and his crime and falling away from the right faiths of the fathers. And cry out in a great voice, praying to the new monk-martyr Solovetsky: “O my lords! Listen to me and weaken me a little, yes, I repent! ”The upcoming and the next question of him, verbally with horror:“ To whom do you, tsar-sovereign, pray diligently and sweetly? ”He said to them:“ They come to me, - talk, - the elders of the Solovetsky monastery and rubbed all my bones and my joints with my saws, and I don’t live from them. Send the messenger soon and tell the army to retreat from their monastery. ” Boyars also sent a messenger soon on the orders of the Tsar.

The repentant Tsar sent a messenger.