Nozdrin Ili, snihimandrite: biography

For a long time, a special category of monks, called elders, appeared among Russian monasticism. These people are not always old, since the title does not testify to the years that have been lived, but about the gifts of vision and wisdom that the Lord has sent them, for meekness, humility and victory over their own passions. One of these chosen ones of God is our contemporary shiarchimandrite Ilyus Nozdrin.

Childhood and Youth of the Elect of God

Father Iliy Nozdrin was born in 1932 in a peasant family of the village of Stanovoi Kolodez of the Oryol district. At the holy baptism he was given the name of Alexei - in honor of St. Alexis, the man of God. Despite the massive atheism that existed in those years, his family was very religious. As the Elder Eli (Nozdrin) himself recalled, he began to pray at the age of three. Early losing his father, who died at the front in 1942, the boy became the true support of the mother, forced after the death of her husband alone to raise four children.

By the grace of God from childhood, the future Shiarhimandrite, Iliy Nozdrin, was gifted not only with diligence, but with a lively and clear mind. Despite all the difficulties of the post-war years, he successfully graduated from high school and, having served time in the army, entered the Serpukhov Mechanical College. After his graduation, Alexei Nozdrin (Eli) received a referral to the city of Kamyshin in the Volgograd region, where he worked on the construction of a cotton mill.

Years of study

During these years, it was with particular force that the desire to serve God was manifested. Leaving the profession of a builder, to which he, as it turned out, had no inclination, Alexei Nozdrin (Eli) entered the Saratov Theological Seminary. However, it was not possible to finish it. As is known, in those years the enemy of the human race elected Nikita Khrushchev, head of the state, as his tool, who committed another persecution of the church. In the wake of this anti-religious campaign, the seminary in Saratov was closed, and Alexei went to Leningrad, where he continued his studies at the theological seminary, and then at the academy.

A graduate of the Academy Nozdrin (Elijah) becomes a monk

Here, on the banks of the Neva, there was an important event in his life. In March 1966, Alexei Nozdrin (Elijah) took monastic vows with a new name of Elijah, which he took in honor of one of the forty Sevastian martyrs. Soon Metropolitan Nikadim (Rotov) ordained the monk first into a hierodeacon - that is, a monk who has the right to perform deacon service, and then to a priest-monk, a monk who has a priestly priesthood. Since then, he began to obey in a number of parishes in Leningrad and the region.

Years spent in the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery and on Athos

As Father Iliy (Nozdrin later recalled), the formation of his spiritual world was greatly influenced by the example of an immigrant from the Tambov province, who became a monk of the Athonite monastery, and later became a saint, Siluan Afonsky. Having taken the desire to devote himself to life in the holy monastery, Ilian spends a long period of time, from 1966 to 1976, within the walls of the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery, where he closely communicates with the outstanding figure of the Russian Orthodox Church, the recognized elder and seer archimandrite John Krestyankin.

In 1976, Elijah's father's cherished dream came true - he was sent to the monastery of the Great Martyr Panteleimon, located on St. Athos. Living in one of the mountain monasteries, far from the vain world, he carried the obedience of the confessor of the monastic brotherhood, which certainly gave him the opportunity to gain rich experience in the knowledge of the mysteries of human souls.

In the Optina Desert

The end of the eighties in Russia became the period of spiritual revival of the country after decades of total atheism. In order to give this process additional impetus, the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church used all the reserves at its disposal. The decree of the Holy Synod from Athos was also called by Hieromonk Ilian.

He was sent to the once famous Optina Desert, which was to be restored after decades of desolation. His stay in it, Eli begins with the adoption of the great schema - the highest monastic rank, providing for complete renunciation of the world and spiritual reunification with God. According to the church statute, he receives a new name - Elijah, under which he is known today.

Recognition of the Elder's merits

Revival of the former spiritual greatness of Optina deserts is in many respects due to the senile ministry, which already for the last ten years has been carried by Shehiarchimandrite Elijah. It was thanks to his tireless work as a coordinator and ideologist that the monastery became today the largest center of Orthodoxy and pilgrimage.

Since 2009, Father Elijah has been fulfilling an important and honorable mission - he is the personal confessor of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Cyril. For the care of his spiritual child, he moved to his Moscow residence, located in the village of Peredelkino, widely known for the fact that it was home to many outstanding figures of Russian and Soviet art.

The Old Testament Service

Performing such a high obedience, the elder does not stop communicating with ordinary people while in Optina desert. Many people in life have various difficult situations, to understand which, in their opinion, can only the elder Eli (Nozdrin). How to get to the reception to him is a matter of concern to many. However, this is a very real task, the Will of God and our own will be for this. Optina monks report that the priest regularly takes pilgrims directly at the table in the refectory and takes it most of the day.

As a rule, there are a lot of visitors, and this is not accidental, because the elder's prayer has a special blessed power, which was repeatedly confirmed in practice. Both in the walls of the monastery and outside it, a case is known when, with his prayer, he brought back to life the seriously wounded and already dying soldier from Chechnya. It is known that this episode, widely discussed in medical circles, did not find a scientific explanation. There are other cases of miraculous healings according to the prayers of the elder.