A short story about Sergius of Radonezh for children. Sergei Radonezhsky: his life and exploits, brief and accessible

The parents of Sergius of Radonezh were the boyars Cyril and Maria, who lived on the territory of the Principality of Rostov. The family was distinguished by piety. Cyril and Maria had three children - Stefan, Bartholomew, Peter. Soon Rostov was ruined, and the family moved to Radonezh, which was under the rule of the Moscow prince.

Bartholomew was not good at science, he was very worried. But the boy tried and prayed earnestly. One day a monk appeared to him. The monk blessed the boy, and from then on he easily mastered all sciences. When Bartholomew's parents grew old, they went to. Soon Kirill and Maria died. Then Bartholomew left the entire bequeathed parental inheritance to Peter, and together with Stephen they decided to take monastic vows.

Bartholomew and Stefan spent a long time preparing for their tonsure. The brothers built a cell in the Radonezh forest, where they fervently prayed. After some time, living in labor, the brothers erected a small wooden Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. Stefan found his solitary life a burden. He said goodbye to Bartholomew and went to the Epiphany Monastery.

Bartholomew decided to continue his secluded lifestyle. He overcame his fear of wild animals and lived in labor. Soon his fame spread to all corners. Metropolitan Theognost of Moscow came to the forest to consecrate the temple built by the brothers. Here Bartholomew was tonsured a monk by the Metropolitan. In monasticism, Bartholomew became Sergius. Various miracles were attributed to Sergius. They say that a monk learned to get along with a bear. People said that a large wild beast lay at the feet of Sergius and obeyed him, taking food from the hands of the Saint.

The spreading fame of Sergius of Radonezh brought many of the most different people. Some came here for a short time to seek solitude and peace, some like Sergius of Radonezh. I wanted to spend my whole life in work and prayer. A little time will pass and around the Trinity Cathedral, many houses will appear in which the monks lived.

Sergius of Radonezh was no different from his brothers. He also carried water, chopped wood, cultivated the land, and prayed. Several times there were difficult years and there was not enough food. Then, to the Radonezh forest, the large Moscow monasteries sent whatever they could: millet, rye...

The monastery, built by Sergius of Radonezh, grew. Soon he was offered the rank of abbot. The monk refused, considering himself unworthy. As a result, circumstances nevertheless forced Sergius of Radonezh, after some time, to become abbot of his own monastery.

Years passed. began to regain its former power. In these difficult years for the state, Sergius of Radonezh became an example for everyone. The monk played a big role in the moral development of society; thanks to him, patriotic sentiments reigned among the people. It was Sergius of Radonezh who blessed the prince who came to him before the Battle of Kulikovo. In addition to the blessing, he sent two of his monks, the Russian heroes Peresvet and Osyablya, to the ranks of the Russian army. Dmitry's army defeated the Tatars on the Kulikovo field. Probably, God's blessing and help played an important role in this great military victory.

Sergius of Radonezh, after, lived another 20 years. His contribution to further development Russian state is huge. He managed to smooth out the misunderstandings of the princes and reduce fratricidal strife to almost nothing. Sergius of Radonezh developed a charter for monks. The charter was adopted with the blessing of Metropolitan Alexy. According to this charter, almost all monasteries in Russia lived in the future. Before his death, he blessed his disciple Nikon to become abbot of the monastery. On the site of the monastery built by Sergius of Radonezh and his brothers, today there is the Trinity-Sergius Lavra - one of the most fertile places on Russian soil. Sergius of Radonezh is rightfully considered one of the greatest, canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. The Moscow princes and tsars who ruled after Dmitry Donskoy considered Sergius of Radonezh their heavenly patron.

26.11.2016

Sergius of Radonezh is revered as a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church. This amazing man gained fame during his lifetime: people walked and traveled from all over the Grand Duchy to receive his blessing. They say that one word from him gave untold consolation, helped in sorrows, and guided even the most lost on the true path. What interesting facts have biographies of Sergius of Radonezh reached us through the darkness of centuries?

The future founder of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra was born in 1392 into a family of representatives of boyar families. His father Kirill and mother Maria were very respected people who helped the poor.
The newborn was named Bartholomew. Even before his birth, a miracle happened, about which the chronicles tell. One day, pregnant Mary came to church, and the baby cried three times in the womb. They surrounded the woman and began to assure her that this was not good. She forced her way out of the crowd. And then it turned out that in such an incredible way it was not the evil, but the bright forces of heaven that declared themselves: Mary gave birth to a future saint.
Bartholomew went to school with his older brother when the age was suitable for studying. However, if the eldest, Stefan, grabbed everything on the fly, then the youngest was not able to read and write at all. More and more often they began to send him to herd cows instead of school. Frustrated, the boy wandered around the field, and one fine day he saw an old wanderer next to him. Bartholomew brought his grandfather home, where Mary fed and watered the traveler. And he said to the child: “I heard you can’t study? Come on, go say a prayer to me.” The amazed Bartholomew suddenly understood the letters and began to read easily!
Since childhood, Bartholomew dreamed of becoming a monk. Having learned, he and his brother went into the thicket of the forest, where they cut down a cell for themselves. The brothers lived together without accepting alms, worked hard, and prayed.
When Stefan, unable to withstand the hardships of forest life, went to the city, people began to flock to Bartholomew (who had already taken the name Sergius), thirsty for prayerful work and solitude. The monastery grew and became stronger.
Sergius predicted his death even before he began to lose strength. He took a vow of silence and has not spoken a word for the past six months. Only his beloved student was always with him.
One day Sergius was offered the rank of metropolitan. He refused.
Dmitry Donskoy himself came to Sergius for a blessing for the Battle of Kulikovo. Sergius of Radonezh predicted victory and prayed for the Russian army throughout the battle. When a Russian warrior fell in battle, he mentally saw his death and spoke about it to his disciples.
Sergius was famous for his ability to heal physical and mental illnesses. One day, a grief-stricken peasant brought to him his young son, who had just died from a serious illness. Sergius took the child, rubbed him with herbs, prayed over him - and the boy came to life.
In addition to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, the Russian saint built 5 more temple complexes.
In the monasteries where Sergius became the head, the brethren lived strictly. Everything was common; begging was not allowed. The monks provided for themselves. If Sergius learned of a violation of the monastery charter, the offender left the monastery.

Sergius of Radonezh was a great man. He undoubtedly possessed enormous fortitude and an unbending will. He directed the entire powerful flow of soul energy to serve God and man, helping God’s weak creation to withstand the trials sent by fate. The main behests that he left to his descendants were: to work, to overcome difficulties, not to grumble about one’s lot, and to give a helping hand to those who need it. This was his whole life - the continuous work of an ascetic.

On May 3, 1314, a son was born to Cyril and Maria in the Rostov region. The first miracle happened before the boy was born. One day, Mary, being pregnant, went to the temple. During the service, the baby, located in the mother’s belly, screamed three times. Forty days after birth, he was baptized and named Bartholomew. The mother and father told the clergyman about the cry of their son from the womb. To which the confessor replied that in the future the youth would serve the Holy Trinity.

When the boy grew up, he began to learn to read and write, but learning was difficult for him. One day, Bartholomew met a priest and told his confessor about his difficulties with studying and asked for his help. The priest gave him a piece of prosphora and said that now Bartholomew would read well. The priest went to the temple and began to pray, and told Bartholomew to read a chant. Miraculously, he began to read much better than before. After a while, Bartholomew began to fast and read prayers.

After some time, Bartholomew's family moved to the city of Radonezh. The youth expressed a desire to become a monk, but his parents asked him to wait until they died. Kirill and Maria went to monasteries and died there. Bartholomew passed on the inheritance inherited from his father to his younger brother Peter, and his older brother Stefan became a monk. Bartholomew decided to go into the forest and build a church there and called his brother Stefan with him. They found a deserted place in the thicket, erected a small hut and built a temple there, which was consecrated by the Metropolitan of Kyiv in the name of the Holy Trinity. Hegumen Mitrofan tonsured Bartholomew a monk and named him Sergius. At this time he was about 20 years old.

One day, during prayer, a miracle happened, the walls in the church parted, and Satan himself stepped into it, he ordered Sergius to leave the temple and frightened him. But Sergius drove him out with his prayer. After a while, other monks settled next to Sergius. Everyone built a hut. When there were 12 monks, a fence was built around the huts. When Abbot Mitrofan died, Sergius and the monks went to the bishop for a new mentor. The bishop ordered Sergius himself to be abbot. Sergius gave his consent.

At first there was no good road to the church. After a while, people began to build their own houses nearby, which grew into villages. The monks showed dissatisfaction that there was no water nearby. Saint Sergius prayed for a long time and a spring appeared nearby, the water of which healed. Near the Volga River lived a dignitary who was tormented by a demon. The Monk Sergius drove away the devil. Since then large number laymen began to visit the saint. Before the battle with the Horde prince Mamai, Prince Dmitry asked Sergius for a blessing and won. Subsequently, the Assumption Monastery was erected in honor of this.

Saint Sergius predicted his death 6 months in advance and transferred the abbess to his disciple Nikon. Sergius of Radonezh passed away on September 25, 1392, having lived 78 years. Sergius wanted to be buried outside the church, next to the other monks. But Metropolitan Cyprian gave his blessing so that Sergius could be placed on the right side of the church. A huge number of people on the day of the funeral came to say goodbye to Saint Sergius of Radonezh.

Biography and life of Sergius of Radonezh briefly for children in grades 2 and 4

Sergius's parents, Kirill and Maria, were pious people. They lived in Tver. There the future saint was born, approximately in 1314, during the reign of Prince Dmitry. Peter was the Metropolitan of the Russian land.

Mary, carrying a child in her womb, led a righteous life. She strictly observed all fasts and prayed. Even then, she decided that if a boy was born, she would dedicate him to the service of God. And, as an omen of the future child, one day a miracle happened in the temple during Mary’s prayer. The child cried out three times from his mother's womb. The priest interpreted this to mean that he would grow up to be a servant of the Holy Trinity.

After birth, on the fortieth day of birth, the baby was baptized. They gave him the name Bartholomew. He also had two more brothers - Peter and Stefan.

The boy grew up. The time has come for him to learn to read and write. This science was easy for his brothers, but with great difficulty for Bartholomew. He was very worried about this.

One day, at the request of his father, Bartholomew went in search of horses. And on the way, the boy met a holy elder in a field. He told him about his difficulties in learning and asked him to pray for him. In response to this, the elder gave the young man a piece of prosphora and said that from now on he would know how to read and write very well.

Bartholomew invited the elder to his parents’ house. He didn't refuse. And from then on, all sciences became easy for the boy.

Several years passed and Bartholomew began to strictly observe all fasts and read prayers, preparing himself for service to the Almighty. He reread quite a few books of saints.

Soon, he and his entire family moved to the lands of Rostov, to Radonezh. The move was associated with the atrocities in Tver by the Moscow governor. The family settled near the local church.

Bartholomew's brothers found wives for themselves. And he strove for worship. He asked his father and mother to bless him for this. To which his parents asked him to wait until they finished their earthly journey, and then devote themselves to the Lord.

After some time they went to monasteries. And there they died. By this time, Stefan's wife had died and he also found shelter in the monastery cell. Bartholomew gave his parents' inheritance to his other brother, Peter.

He called Stefan to search suitable place for the construction of the monastery. And they built a small church with him in a vacant lot, consecrating it in the name of the Holy Trinity. After some time, the brother left Bartholomew. Life in the lap of nature turned out to be difficult for him. He went to a Moscow monastery. There he became abbot.

And Bartholomew asked Elder Mitrofan to tonsure him as a monk. When he was tonsured, he took the name Sergius. At that time he was a little over 20 years old.

And he began to live in his hut, praying fervently. The demons tempted him in every possible way, but Sergius was persistent. He did not succumb to their temptations, but drove them out. Once Satan himself visited him, but the saint drove him out too.

Monks sometimes visited Sergius. And over time, some began to settle there with him. The church began to get upset.

After the death of the abbot, at the insistence of Bishop Athanasius, Sergius accepted this holy rank.

The saint performed many different miracles. Through the prayer of Sergius, a spring arose not far from the church he founded. He could heal the sick and resurrect the dead. And suffering people began to come to him for help.

One day, Sergius had a vision that his church would be a shelter for the poor and wanderers and it would be full of people.

Brother Stefan also returned to the church. But one day, Sergius, offended by him, left the monastery. He built himself a cell on the Kirzhach River. But monks from the Church of the Holy Trinity came there to see him.

After some time, the saint returned back, leaving one of his disciples as abbot in the new monastery.

Sergius continued his life there. He continued to work miracles and heal the sick. They came to him for advice and blessings. Myself Grand Duke Moscow Dmitry visited the saint before going to the battle with the Horde, which took place on the Kulikovo Field. Having received Sergius' blessing for her, the prince calmly led his army into battle.

Sergius not only prayed and healed people. He worked a lot for the benefit of his monastery. Gradually, his monastery became a shelter for the suffering, which was predicted to him in a vision.

On September 25, 1392, Sergius of Radonezh died. He left behind him his disciple Nikon as abbot. Sergius laid the foundation for desert monastic life.

Biography of Sergius of Radonezh

Sergius of Radonezh was born in the village of Varnitsa near Rostov on May 3, 1319. He is called Bartholomew. Cyril and Maria, the parents of the future saint, belonged to the boyars. In addition to Bartholomew, they had two more boys, Peter and Stefan.

According to legend, Mary went to church and while praying, her child let out a loud cry from her womb. As an infant, he surprises everyone by the fact that on Wednesday and Friday he does not drink his mother’s milk, and if Maria ate meat on other days, then he also did not drink milk from her breast on that day. And Bartholomew’s mother subsequently had to not eat meat.

At the age of seven, he and his brothers were sent to study, but reading and writing was difficult for him. Bartholomew really wanted to learn to write and read. After his incessant prayers for the gift of understanding of literacy, he meets an old man, whom he asks to help in his trouble. The elder blesses the boy and says that from now on you will understand everything, even better than your brothers. And from that day on, Bartholomew began to understand literacy in an amazing way.

The boy was interested in books about the lives of saints. Having read them, Bartholomew is inspired to set days keep a strict fast with no food, and in the remaining days eat only bread and water, and also devote all nights to fervent prayer.

In 1328, Bartholomew and his family moved to Radonezh. And at the age of 12, he decides to take a vow of monasticism, but his parents set the condition that this will happen only after they die, since Peter and Stephen started families, and he remains their remaining support. It didn’t take long to wait for this; Cyril and Maria died, and before their death, according to tradition, they took monastic vows and became a monk.

After their death, Bartholomew goes to the Khotkovo-Pokrovsky Monastery, where brother Stefan, after the death of his wife, took monastic vows. Wanting to carry out the strictest monastic feat, the brothers founded a monastery near the Konchura River. And Bartholomew erects a church in honor of the Holy Trinity right in the Radonezh forest. His brother could not withstand the strictest hermit discipline and leaves.

In 1337, Bartholomew was ordained as a monk by Abbot Father Mitrofan and was named in honor of the Great Martyr Sergius. Time passed and other monks and monks began to come to him, forming a monastery that later became the Trinity-Sergei Lavra. The community grew - and workers and peasants began to settle around it.

Father Sergius was distinguished by his special love of work and built some of the cells with his own hands, and also performed all the economic work in the monastery. He combined his work with unceasing prayer and fasting. The monks were often surprised how their monk worked hard and fasted all the time, but his health did not deteriorate, but on the contrary.

In 1354, Venerable Sergius was elevated to the rank of hegumen. The fame of him spreads and Philotheus, being the patriarch, gives him some gifts with the wish for further spiritual exploits. According to the patriarchal instructions, a communal living system was introduced in the monastery. He assumed equality in property, wearing the same clothes and shoes as everyone else, eating from a common cauldron and obeying the hegumen and recognized elders.

In addition to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, the monk founded other monasteries, where he introduced a community-living charter. Here are some of them:

Vysotsky Monastery in Serpukhov
Annunciation Monastery in the city of Kerzhach
St. George Monastery, located on the Klyazma River
Staro-Golutvin near Kolomna

And the followers of St. Sergius subsequently founded approximately 40 monasteries in their native land.

Sergius of Radonezh also gained fame as a peacemaker, which had important in the Battle of Kulikovo. Dmitry Donskoy receives the blessing of the elder before the battles. Sergius predicts an unprecedented defeat of the Tatar army. And violating the accepted canons, he sends two monks along with the prince. And on the holy day of the Nativity of the Mother of God, the Russian army wins.

Throughout my entire life path Venerable Sergius saw various mystical visions.

And close to his death, he transfers the hegumenship and instructions to his close disciple Nikon and renounces earthly things. Saint Sergius of Radonezh died in the fall of 1392.

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A story about the life of Sergius of Radonezh.
There are people in the history of Russia whose lives became an example of selflessness for the sake of an idea, such as Sergius of Radonezh. Today it is important to understand the significance of a figure for the Fatherland, an unusually patient, modest and hardworking person. He rose to the unattainable heights of holiness, remaining in the shadows, remaining second, truly being first.
The Venerable Elder Sergius was born in the Tver Principality, into the well-behaved boyar family of Cyril and Maria. Even before birth, the baby in the womb made itself known by crying during a service in the temple. This prompted the parents to make a vow that if a boy was born, then he would be a servant of God. So, that’s how it worked out.
The boy was born and received the name Bartholomew at baptism. The teenager, who had been sent to learn to read and write, lagged behind his peers and was very worried about it. One day in a field, under an oak tree, he met a priest and told him about his weakness. The priest promised the boy that everything would improve, and he would surpass his peers in his studies.
Years later, Bartholomew began to pray and fast so earnestly that his frightened mother tried to persuade him to lighten his labors a little, but to no avail. After the death of his parents, the boy and his brother Stefan retired to the Radonezh forest, preparing for tonsure. In these places, Bartholomew took monastic orders and became Sergius; here he managed to cope with a bear that ate bread from his hand and performed various miracles.
The fame of the monk's exploits spread throughout Rus', and pilgrims flocked to him from all over the world; many settled near the monastery, which soon turned into a monastery. Sergius, who became abbot, did not stand out from the brethren, carrying out ordinary obediences, like a simple monk. The example of the moral life of a monk gained Sergius wide fame. Everyone listened to his words, regardless of their position in society.
On the eve of the Battle of Kulikovo, the Grand Duke of Moscow Dmitry asked the elder for his blessing for the battle. Sergius, in addition to blessing, sent two of his monks with the prince: Oslyabya and Peresvet. Inspired by the blessing of Sergius, the army of Prince Dmitry, who later became known as Donskoy, completely defeated the Tatar army.
For another 20 years after the significant battle, Sergius of Radonezh lived, nourishing the spirit of the Russian people who were laying the foundation of a great state. He pacified the ardor of angry princes, keeping them from bloody strife. Sergius left a charter for the monastery, which was later adopted by other Russian monasteries.
Where the monk once retired, now rise the domes of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, overshadowed by divine grace. The founder of the monastery, Sergius of Radonezh, is still considered the heavenly patron of Rus'.

Sergius of Radonezh is truly a national saint, close to everyone Orthodox person. On the day of remembrance of the great Russian spiritual leader, we remember his 7 exploits.

Victories over demons and taming animals

The Monk Sergius seems to many to be a blessed old man, whose holiness was felt by the wild animals that came to “touch” her. However, in fact, Sergius went into the forest as a young man at the age of about twenty. At first, he constantly struggled with demonic temptations, defeating them with fervent prayer. Demons tried to drive him out of the forest, threatening him with an attack by wild animals and painful death. The saint remained adamant, called on God and thus was saved. He also prayed when wild animals appeared, and therefore they never attacked him. The saint shared every meal with the bear, so often depicted next to Sergius, and sometimes even gave it up to the hungry animal. “Let no one be surprised at this, knowing truly that if God lives in a person and the Holy Spirit rests on him, then all creation submits to him,” says the life of this saint.

Blessing of the monks for war

This event is one of the most famous and most unexpected in the history of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra. Everyone knows that monks and weapons, and especially war, are “two incompatible things,” but, like any too broad rule, this rule was once refuted by life. Two monks, later canonized, went to the Battle of Kulikovo with arms in hand with the blessing of St. Sergius. In single combat before the battle, one of them, Alexander Peresvet, defeated the Tatar hero Chelubey, and this determined the victory of the Russian army. Peresvet himself died in the process. The second monk, tonsured Andrei (Oslyabya), according to legend, dressed in the armor of Prince Dmitry, killed in the battle, and so led the army.
It is surprising that Sergius of Radonezh himself “sent” Peresvet and Oslyabya to the great battle to help Prince Dmitry, who asked the saint only for spiritual help. Before the battle, he tonsured the monks into the great schema.

Present participle

The evidence of how St. Sergius of Radonezh received communion was hidden from people until his dormition. This secret was kept by Simon, a disciple of the saint, who had a vision during the communion of St. Sergius of Radonezh at the liturgy. Simon saw fire walking along the holy altar, illuminating the altar and surrounding the Holy Table on all sides. “When the Reverend wanted to take communion, the Divine fire coiled up like some kind of shroud and entered the holy chalice, and the Reverend took communion with it. Seeing all this, Simon was filled with horror and trembling and remained silent, marveling at the miracle...” The Reverend understood from the face of his disciple that he was granted a miraculous vision, and Simon confirmed this. Then Sergius of Radonezh asked him not to tell anyone about what he saw until the Lord took him away.

Resurrection of a boy

The Life of Saint Sergius tells that the saint once resurrected a man with his prayers. This was a boy whose father, a devout believer, carried his sick son through the cold so that Saint Sergius would heal him. The man’s faith was strong, and he walked with the thought: “If only I could bring my son alive to the man of God, and there the child will definitely recover.” But due to the severe frost and the long journey, the sick child became completely weak and died on the road. Having reached Saint Sergius, the inconsolable father said: “Woe is me! Ah, man of God! I, with my misfortune and tears, hastened to get to you, believing and hoping to receive consolation, but instead of consolation I only acquired even greater sorrow. It would have been better for me if If only my son had died at home. Woe to me, woe! What could be worse and worse than this? Then he left the cell to prepare a coffin for his child.
Sergius of Radonezh prayed for a long time on his knees with the deceased, and suddenly the child came to life and began to move, his soul returned to his body. The saint told the returning father that the child had not died, but was only exhausted from the frost, and now, in the warmth, he had warmed up. This miracle became known from the words of the saint’s disciple.

Feat of modesty

The Monk Sergius of Radonezh could have become a metropolitan, a bishop, but he refused to even become the abbot of his monastery. He asked Metropolitan Alexy of All Rus' to appoint an abbot to the monastery, and, hearing his name in response, did not agree, saying: “I am not worthy.” Only when the Metropolitan reminded the saint of monastic obedience did he answer: “As the Lord wills, so be it. Blessed be the Lord forever!”
However, when Alexy was dying and offered Sergius to become his successor, he refused. The saint repeated his refusal after the death of the metropolitan, all with the same words: “I am not worthy.”

Bread for Moscow

In besieged Moscow, many Orthodox Christians one day saw a completely gray-haired old man leading twelve carts with bread. No one could understand how this procession made its way through the impregnable guards and many enemy troops. "Tell me, father, where are you from?" - they asked the elder, and he joyfully answered everyone: “We are warriors from the monastery of the Most Holy and Life-Giving Trinity". This elder, whom some saw, but others did not, inspired the Muscovites to further fight and assured them of victory. And in the monastery of the wonderworker they said that the appearance of the elders in Moscow with bread was on the day when the Reverend appeared in the monastery to the sexton Irinarch and said : “I sent three of my disciples to Moscow, and their arrival will not go unnoticed in the reigning city.”

The Tossed Tsar

The Grand Duke of All Rus' Ivan Vasilyevich and Grand Duchess Sophia had three daughters, but did not have an heir. Christ-loving Sophia decided to go on a pilgrimage - on foot to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra from Moscow itself to pray for the birth of sons. Near the village of Klementyevo, located not far from the monastery, she met a magnificent priest with a baby in her arms. Sophia immediately understood from the appearance of the wanderer that in front of her was St. Sergius. Further the life narrates: “He approached Grand Duchess- and suddenly threw the baby into her bosom. And immediately became invisible." Sophia reached the holy monastery and prayed there for a long time and kissed the relics of the saint. And upon returning home, she conceived in her womb the God-given heir to the royal throne, Grand Duke Vasily, who was born on the Feast of the Annunciation and was baptized in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra .