Bishop Vasily Rodzianko: life, sermons, books, biography and interesting facts

A very extraordinary person was Vasily Rodzianko, Bishop of the Orthodox Church in America, who was once called Vladimir Mikhailovich Rodzianko in the world. He was born on May 22, 1915, on a family estate that bore the beautiful name “Otrada,” which was located in Novomoskovsky district, in the Ekaterinoslav province.

His father, Mikhail Mikhailovich Rodzianko, was an educated man who graduated from Moscow University, but his grandfather, Mikhail Vladimirovich Rodzianko, was the chairman of the 3rd and 4th State Duma in the then Russian Empire. Then he became one of the leaders of the February Revolution of 1917 and headed the Provisional Committee of the State Duma. This fact played a very important role in the fate of his grandson, but more on that later.

The mother of the future bishop was born Baroness Meyendorff; there was already one protopresbyter in her family - John Meyendorff (1926 - 1992), who served in the Orthodox Church in America (New York, Church of Christ the Savior).

Biography facts

In the post-revolutionary period, in 1920, the entire Rodzianko family was sentenced to death because of their grandfather, so they were soon forced to leave Russia and settle in the future Yugoslavia (1929).

For Vladimir these were terrible years, but one very important event for him was imprinted in his childhood memory - a visit to the temple in Anapa. He also recalled that at the age of six he was assigned a tutor, a former white officer, who believed that his grandfather had betrayed Tsar Nicholas II. This embittered and vindictive tutor turned into a strict overseer. He bullied the child as best he could, and as a result the boy lost all interest in life.

Studies

Having matured a little, Vladimir graduated from the Russian-Serbian gymnasium in Belgrade (1933), and in the same year he went to study at the Faculty of Theology at Belgrade University. As fate would have it, Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky) became his patron. His acquaintance with Hieromonk John (Maksimovich) in 1926 had a great spiritual influence on him.

He then graduated from the University of Belgrade with a PhD in Theology (1937). Then he married Maria Vasilievna Kolyubaeva, the daughter of a priest who also fled the USSR.

He continued his studies at the University of London, where he began writing his dissertation. Upon completion of his studies, in 1939, he was invited to Oxford to lecture on Russian theology. But the war began, and Vladimir was forced to return to Yugoslavia, where he began teaching the Law of God at the Novi Sad school.

Spiritual path to God

Vladimir (name in the world) was born in the spring of 1915 on the Otrada estate in the Yekaterinoslav province, he was the 7th child in the large family of the landowner M. Rodzianko, who ran his own agricultural business. Soon the news came that the entire family, not excluding the children, was sentenced to execution by the Bolsheviks who had seized power in the Fatherland. In 1919, the entire Rodzianko family left the territory of Russia.

Bishop Vasily (in the world - Vladimir Mikhailovich Rodzianko)

Father Vasily recalled: “It was a difficult time, which was partly brightened by the opportunity to visit the Russian church before a long parting with the Motherland.”

• Mom brought the children to one of the churches in Anapa; little Vladimir really wanted to look at the icons, but nothing was visible from behind the adults’ backs. However, they soon understood the child’s desire and knelt down so that he could enjoy the elegant iconostasis decorated with gold. A few minutes later, all the parishioners began to cry, this was the farewell to Russia.
• In 1920, the Rodzianko family arrived in Serbia. Here Russian emigrants felt free and tried to forget the horrors that happened to them in their homeland. When Vladimir was six years old, a tutor was assigned to him. In 1925, the young man entered the Belgrade gymnasium, and also served at the altar in the Russian Trinity Church.
• In the church, the boy made friends with Hieromonk John (Maksimovich), who later became a priest of one of the American churches. The young monk, famous for his sincere love for children, began to carefully educate young Vladimir on the topic of religion and thereby heal his childhood mental traumas. Father John showed the boy another world, a lost paradise, bright and infinitely blissful. So, Vladimir’s life changed for the better.
• Soon John introduced his student to Metropolitan Anthony; the love of these two saints greatly helped the boy to join the spiritual life. In 1933, Vladimir graduated from high school and entered the Faculty of Theology at the University of Belgrade; he completed his studies after 4 years. In 1938, the young man married the daughter of a clergyman, and a year later the young couple had their first child.

Bishop Vasily remembered his own grandfather in a sermon he delivered in 1998. Mikhail Rodzianko wanted only good things for the fatherland, but often made mistakes. This man sent envoys to Nicholas II with a request for abdication, but did not imagine that the abdication of the throne would cruelly extend to the sons of the ruler. When Bishop Vasily’s grandfather learned about the terrible fate of the Romanov family, he began to repent and cry bitterly, feeling indirectly guilty for their death.

Important! In his sermon, the monk asked forgiveness for his ancestor before the Fatherland and the people, and then he himself, having episcopal rights, absolved him of his sins.

San

Deacon Rodzianko was ordained to the first rank of priesthood in 1940 by Metropolitan Anastasius (Gribanovsky), First Hierarch of the ROCOR. A year later in Belgrade, Patriarch Gabriel of Serbia ordained him to the rank of priest, and then he began to serve in the Serbian parish at a school in Novi Sad. Then he was a priest in the village of Voevodino (Serbia), and served as secretary of the Red Cross.

But with the outbreak of World War II, Orthodox Christians were subjected to terrible repression. Bishop Vasily Rodzianko participated in the Serbian resistance and helped liberate Serbs from concentration camps. He even adopted a Ukrainian orphan girl.

When the communists came to power in Yugoslavia after the war, Russian emigrants again rushed in all directions, but the majority wanted to return to their homeland, to Russia.

Further fate

In 1940, Metropolitan Anastassy ordained Vladimir as a priest. In the same year, the newly minted priest acted as a peacemaker in the dispute between Metropolitans Anthony and Eulogius. When the issue was resolved, both branches of the Russian Church Abroad briefly resumed their dialogue.

Book of Bishop Vasily (Rodzianko)

• In April 1941, Father Vladimir (Vasily) served liturgy in the besieged Novi Sad (Serbia). During World War II, he worked as rector of a rural parish and was secretary of the Red Cross humanitarian organization.
• In 1949, Father Vladimir was convicted of “exceeding church powers.”
• The conditions in the camp were extremely difficult: people were forced to work, and those who did not fulfill the daily quota were sent to a cold punishment cell. Father Vasily recalled: when he was put in this icy room, he continuously prayed to Christ for many Russian families who had a hard time during the years of Bolshevism. From exhaustion, he fell asleep; Saint Seraphim came to him in a vision and assured him that soon everything would be all right with him and with those for whom he prayed.
• The next day, Father Vladimir was transferred to another camp with less harsh conditions. In 1951, the priest was released from prison and deported to French soil.
• Two years later he moved to Great Britain, where in 1955 he began conducting a religious radio broadcast for the people of the USSR. The priest worked here for more than 20 years.
• Vladimir became a monk and changed his name to Vasily in 1978.
• In 1980, the monk received the rank of bishop in Washington; his ordination took place in the St. Nicholas Church in the US capital.
• In 1981, the bishop visited the USSR and was greeted extremely warmly in his homeland.
• In 1984, Bishop Vasily announced that he wished to retire.

Arrest

Father Vasily Rodzianko writes a letter to Patriarch Alexy I in 1945, in which he communicates his desire to serve in Russia. But his return never took place. Because it was at this time that relations between Yugoslavia and the USSR deteriorated greatly, and Russian emigrants were repressed. In 1949, Vasily Rodzianko was sentenced to 8 years in prison for “illegal religious agitation” (he was charged with testifying to the miraculous renovation of icons in the temple).

In 1951, he was released early, and he and his family moved to Paris, where his parents, who had left Yugoslavia back in 1946, then lived.

Great-grandmother and her icon

Like all people, I had ancestors. As you know, no one comes into this world without them. I want to tell you about my great-grandmother, whom I never saw and who never saw me either, but who nevertheless gave me a name long before I was born. Many, many years later, relatively recently, I came to her grave and performed a memorial service there. And I want to start my memories with her.

And it was like this.

When I was born, and this happened in 1915 on the spring Nikolai day, in the month of May, according to the new calendar on May 22, the 9th according to the old one, my relatives thought that, of course, they would call me Nikolai. Moreover, my great-grandfather was Nikolai, and my uncle was Nikolai, and in general there were Nikolai in the family. But the father came and said: “No, he has already been given a name. Nineteen years ago. And there's even an icon. His name is written on it - Vladimir.”

Vladimir Rodzianko. 1919

How did this happen? Well, generally speaking, it’s very simple. I had an uncle, my father’s brother. And when he was born, he was baptized. My grandmother, Princess Maria Golitsyna, came to the christening, who lived in Nikolo-Uryupin, or Nikolskoye, not far from Moscow, next to Ilinskoye and Arkhangelskoye. There was their family estate. There she, having lost her husband, my great-grandfather, lived alone. She came to the christening of my father's brother, Vladimir Rodzianko. He was given a name in advance. Everyone decided that he would be baptized this way. There was a silver icon of the Savior, on which was written: “Blessing of the grandmother of Princess Maria Golitsyna to Vladimir Rodzianko. 1896." This explains why, according to this icon, I should now be one hundred and one years old. But in fact, part of this time does not belong to me, but to my uncle. How did this happen?

The child was baptized, but he fell ill and died. Then my grandmother brought this icon to my father, who was then still a boy. He was older than the deceased, but still a boy. She gave him this icon and said: “When your first son is born, name him Vladimir and give him this icon - a gift from me.” When I was born, at the christening everyone expected me to be Nikolai, but my father said “no” and, after telling this story, gave the icon to me.

Many, many years passed, I managed to grow old, turn gray, become a bishop and receive panagia. "Panagia" means "All Holy" in Greek. This is an icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Every bishop, when he is ordained, is given such an icon. This icon is always worn on the chest, because the Most Holy Theotokos helps, we believe, the bishop in his very difficult task of being not only a father, but sometimes even, in a sense, a mother for his, sometimes very crowded, diocese. By the way, my diocese was - you won’t believe it - one and a half million square miles, and in square kilometers this number is even greater. The entire Pacific coast - from Canada to Mexico. And eleven states on the territory of the American continent, right up to Colorado, to the mountains that are called Partition there, between the two parts of the entire American continent, including the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean. This was the area. My residence was in San Francisco. Sometimes I had to visit distant places: Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Colorado, Colorado Springs, and many others. And when people asked: “Where is the ruler now?”, they often received the answer: “As always, in the clouds.” I always carried a panagia with me. One of the panagias was the same icon that I received at baptism. True, this is not an icon of the Mother of God, but of the Savior.

Many years later. It turned out to be possible to come to Russia, but before they were not allowed. And then, after the failed putsch, and several years before that, I ended up in Russia.

Bishop Vasily (Rodzianko) in Nikolskoye

And for the first time I came to the very estate near Moscow where my father was born. His mother, the daughter of that same Princess Maria Golitsyna, Princess Anna Nikolaevna Golitsyna, was also born and raised in Nikolskoye. She loved this Nikolskoye very much, she always spent the summer there, even after she married my grandfather, the last Chairman of the pre-revolutionary State Duma, still tsarist, Mikhail Vladimirovich Rodzianko, who, by the way, was from Ukraine. I was also born in Ukraine and had never been to Nikolskoye until the moment I am talking about. This was several years ago. When we arrived there, I saw a beautiful temple of the Moscow architectural style with kokoshniks. A very nice temple. The only temple of such architecture in the entire Moscow region. There are, of course, such churches in Moscow, but in the Moscow region it is the only one. And it was built in the second half of the 17th century, in 1664. At that time, Arkhangelskoye and Nikolskoye were the common estate of all the Golitsyns. But they sold part of the estate to their Yusupov relatives, and this part was named after the temple that the Yusupovs built in honor of the holy Archangels - Arkhangelskoye. And nearby there was another estate that belonged to Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich and his wife Princess Elizabeth Feodorovna, now the canonized holy martyr Elizabeth, who, as you know, suffered from the atheists and met a cruel death. She was a wonderful woman. They were neighbors and often met each other. And my grandmother, my father’s mother, spent every summer there. That's where he was born.

Vasily Rodzianko: conversations and sermons

By 1953, he moved to London and became the second priest in the Cathedral of St. Sava the Serbian, which was under the jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Then Rodzianko had a job at the BBC Broadcasting Corporation. Since 1955, at his own suggestion, religious radio broadcasting was opened in the USSR and Eastern Europe.

Vasily Rodzianko spoke a lot on various radio stations with sermons and conversations, taught at Oxford University and in Paris - at the St. Sergius Theological Institute.

At the very beginning of the spring of 1978, his wife died, and his grandson Igor died in a car accident. A year later, he left the BBC radio station and became a monk with the name Vasily (in honor of Basil the Great), this happened under the leadership of the Metropolitan of Sourozh in London. He wanted to carry out his monastic feat secretly and was about to go to Athos, but he was offered to become the vicar of the primate of the Orthodox Church in America.

The fate of Vladyka Vasily (Vladimir Mikhailovich Rodzianko) is very unusual. His life (1915 - 1999) covers both the pre-revolutionary time and the period after the fall of communism in Russia, the time of the revival of the Faith. It was the life of a man who dedicated all his activities to the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ and His Holy Orthodox Church, wherever He did not carry out his priestly or episcopal ministry: in Serbia, in Great Britain, in the United States...

The Bishop carried out his priestly ministry in the Serbian Orthodox Church, and his episcopal ministry in the Orthodox Church in America.

You can read more about the life of Vladyka Vasily in the “Life Path” section.

11.08.09

— New photo gallery with numerous new photos.
12/03/06
— New additions in the headings “Sermon in the Temple.”, “Radio Sermons” (10 sermons in total).

28.09.06

— New additions in the “Sermon in the Temple” section.
The word spoken at St. Nicholas Cathedral in the city of Washington by Bishop Vasily on the day of his consecration as Bishop of Washington.
09/28/06

— New additions in the “Sermon in the Temple” section. Added 8 sermons delivered at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Washington, USA.

24.09.06

— New additions in the “Sermon in the Temple” section. Added 14 sermons delivered at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Washington, USA.

25.06.06

— New additions in the “Conversations” section (“A Word for Christmas Eve before Christmas”, “Jacob’s Struggle”).

15.06.06

— Updates in the “Miscellaneous” section (section “Excerpts from books”). Chapters from the book “The Brothers Karamazov” by F. M. Dostoevsky.

15.06.06

— An audio conversation “Pastoral Calling” has been added to the “Pastoral Instructions” section.

22.05.06

— Thanks to Natalia Nesterova University, all episodes of the film “A Word for Orthodox Holidays” have appeared on the website.

09.03.06

— In the “Memories” section, update: Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II. A word on the death of Bishop Vasily (from the documentary film “My Destiny.”)

04.03.06

— In the “Conversations” section there is an update: the conversation “Divine and Human Freedom.”

04.03.06

— In the “Radio Sermons” section updates: sermons “The Ancient Church about its unity” and “Unity”.

01.03.06

— In the “Radio Sermons” section there is an update: the sermon “Common Sin.”

28.02.06

— Under the “Sermons” heading, a new sub-section, “Radio Sermons,” has opened. It contains materials from programs that Father Vladimir Rodzianko broadcast on BBC radio for believers in Russia.

20.02.06

— A new section “Miscellaneous” has been opened, containing creations that Vladyka Vasily mentioned in his teachings and sermons.

19.02.06

— The conversation “The Pea Sheep” has been added to the “Pastoral Instructions” section.

04.02.06

— There is a new conversation on the site, “The Creation of the World and the Idea of ​​“Double” Creation.”

20.01.06

— In the “Conversations” section there is an addition: an audio conversation “Song of Solomon.”

20.01.06

— In the “Conversations” section there is an addition: an audio conversation “Uncreated Light”.

19.01.06

— Added conversation “Barriers of our fall.”

10.12.05

— Added conversation “What is corrupted in man—nature or will?”

23.11.05

— Added sermon “You do not know what kind of spirit you are...” (Luke 9:55).

20.11.05

— Added several sermons in audio format.

19.11.05

— Added sermon
“The Spirit of God in us: Salvation
.

06.11.05

— The text has been added to the “Conversations” section:
“On the Jesus Prayer
.

06.11.05

— The conversation “Good and evil in the world and in man, and shepherding” has been added to the “Pastoral Instructions” section. The Wisdom and Beauty of God's Providence."

05.11.05

— the conversation “Divine and Human Love” has been added.

16.10.05

— added conversation
“Holy Communion”
.

05.10.05

— added conversations “Family and marriage of our time” and “Family life”.

02.10.05

— several photographs of Bishop Vasily appeared in the “Photo Album” section.

29.09.05

- a book written by Bishop Vasily is available for reading - “The Theory of the Disintegration of the Universe and the Faith of the Fathers.”

27.09.05

— the biography of Vladyka Vasily is posted on the website.

Currently, the page contains materials, text and audio, which include sermons and conversations of Bishop Vasily. Work on the Vladyka’s archive continues, and these include hundreds and hundreds of audio tapes and other archival materials, including programs about Orthodoxy that the Vladyka hosted for many years on BBC radio for what was then Soviet Russia. We are confident that the Vladyka’s legacy will be of interest not only to those who knew him, but also to many, many Orthodox people who did not know him personally.

We also hope that over time we will be able to post on the website digitized films produced by Natalia Nesterova University, such as “My Destiny” and “A Word for Orthodox Holidays.”

You can bookmark the site by pressing CTRL+D.

We invite you to periodically visit the site, the site is periodically updated.

An English version of the page was also recently launched.

The developers of the page about Bishop Vasily are looking for people who personally knew Bishop Vasily and who may have materials, photographs, personal memories about the life of this wonderful person. We will be glad if you respond and send your material for publication on the site. Please contact us by email.

America

In January 1980, in Washington, at St. Nicholas Cathedral, where Vasily Rodzianko began to serve, he was ordained a bishop.

In 1984, due to old age, he was fired. He lived in Washington and became honorary rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral. He worked as the director of the Holy Archangel Broadcasting Center, located in his small apartment, and also taught in theological seminaries and broadcast on the waves of radio stations Vatican Radio, Voice of America and others.

In Washington, until his very last day, Rodzianko was a real confessor to a large number of Orthodox emigrants, he even conducted seminars with Protestants who studied the history of the Eastern Christian churches, as a result of which he led many of his listeners to Orthodoxy.

BASIL

(Rodzianko Vladimir Mikhailovich; 05/9/1915, Otrada Novomoskovsky estate, Yekaterinoslav province - 09/17/1999, Washington), bishop. San Francisco and the West (The Diocese of the West) of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), preacher and theologian, teacher, publicist, Orthodox activist. movements.

Priest Vasily Rodzianko. Photo. 50s XX century Priest Vasily Rodzianko. Photo. 50s XX century

Genus. in a noble family that gave Russia in the 19th-20th centuries. several prominent figures in the military and civilian fields. Grandfather, M.V. Rodzianko (1859-1924), was the chairman of the 3rd and 4th State. Duma of the Russian Empire, then the Provisional Committee of the State. Duma. Father, M. M. Rodzianko (1884-1956), is a graduate of Moscow University, author of op. “The Truth about the Church Abroad (according to documentary and personal memories)” (1954); mother - E. F. Rodzianko (nee Baroness Meyendorff, 1883-1985); protopr. John Meyendorff is V.'s second cousin on the maternal side. Vladimir was the 4th child in a family of 8 children; one of his sisters became the wife of the grandson of L.N. Tolstoy, gr. V. M. Tolstoy, the other was married to Archpriest. Sergiy Chertkov, rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral in Tehran.

In 1920, the families of M. V. and M. M. Rodzianko were forced to leave Russia and settle in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, first in Pancevo, then in Beodra (now Novo Milosevo, Vojvodina), where M. V died Rodzianko. In 1925-1933. Vladimir studied at the 1st Russian-Serbian classical gymnasium in Belgrade; enjoyed the special patronage of Metropolitan. Anthony (Khrapovitsky), who was distantly related to Crimea. In 1926 he met Fr. John (Maximovich) (later Archbishop of San Francisco ROCOR), who had a huge spiritual influence on him. In 1933-1937 studied at the Faculty of Theology at the University of Belgrade and graduated with a Ph.D. theology. At that time, he and his family members were cared for by priests who were under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Synod of the Russian Church.

Living in Beodre, Belgrade, Novi Bečej, V. Rodzianko met with such church leaders and ascetics as Archimandrite. Justin (Popovich), prof. Belgrade University (in 1993 glorified by the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) as a reverend), bishop. Kamchatsky Nestor (Anisimov). In Aug. In 1937, upon completion of his studies at the Faculty of Theology, V. Rodzianko married M. V. Kolyubaeva, the daughter of a priest who managed to illegally leave the USSR with his family. In 1937-1939 with the blessing of the SOC hierarchy, having received a scholarship from the Anglicans. Church, Rodzianko continued his education in graduate school at the University of London, where he studied Western. religion and theology, wrote thesis. on the topic “The Holy Trinity and Her Image - Humanity.” While studying in graduate school, he met the Englishman Archimandrite. Nikolai (Gibbs), former. teacher of the royal children, took part in the activities of the Albanian martyr and St. Sergius's commonwealth. Upon receiving his diploma in 1939, he was invited to Oxford to give a course of lectures on Russian. theology. However, this was prevented by the outbreak of the Second World War. Interned for some time in Great Britain, V. Rodzianko at the beginning. 1940 returned to Yugoslavia. Here he taught the Law of God in Serbo-Hungarian language. school in Novi Sad.

March 30, 1941 in Russian. Holy Trinity Church in Belgrade, Patriarch of Serbia Gabriel (Dozic) Rodzianko was ordained a priest and appointed to the Serbian. parish at a secondary school in Novi Sad; He also served in other Serbs. and Russian rural parishes of the Bach diocese. He developed a good relationship with Bishop. Bachsky Irinei (Chirich). After the occupation of Vojvodina by the Hungarians. and German Orthodox troops the inhabitants of the region, Serbs and Russians, were subjected to brutal repression. Priest Vladimir took part in the Serbian. resistance and rescued Serbs from concentration camps, adopted the remaining orphan Ukrainian. girl. A proposal to support one of the units of the Russian Security Corps in Yugoslavia, created with the blessing of Metropolitan. Anastasia (Gribanovsky), was rejected by him, he tried not to take part in politics.

After the liberation of Yugoslavia and the coming to power in the country of the Communist Party led by I. B. Tito Rus. emigrants began to travel to other countries, many, including relatives of Fr. Vladimir, returned to the USSR. Some from Russian. clergy transferred to the jurisdiction of the SOC. Father Vladimir, being a cleric of the SOC, remained in his parish and was a teacher of the law in Serbia. secondary schools in Subotica and the secretary of the Russian. missionary council of the local branch of the Red Cross. Through this organization, he helped people move to the West. After the death of Met. Antonia O. Vladimir largely revised his attitude towards the Church Abroad. Apr 3 In 1945, he sent a letter to Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy I (Simansky), in which he announced his desire to serve the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1947 Fr. Vladimir received an offer from N. M. Zernov, secretary of the commonwealth, to become the confessor of this society and the rector of the church in the House of St. Basil the Great in London, but at that time Fr. Vladimir did not accept him. Due to the deterioration of relations between Yugoslavia and the USSR, persecution fell on the Russians remaining in the country. In July 1949, Fr. Vladimir, who cared for 2 parishes, was arrested and sentenced to 8 years of forced labor for “illegal religious propaganda” (he was charged with testifying to the miraculous renovation of icons in his church). Thanks to the personal petition of the Archbishop of Canterbury J. Fisher to the Yugoslav authorities and the change in Tito's policy towards the West in 1951, Fr. Vladimir was released early from the camp and went with his family to Paris, where his parents lived, having left Yugoslavia in 1946. In 1953, at the invitation of Bishop. Nicholas (Velimirovich; later canonized by the SOC), who then lived in London, Fr. Vladimir moved to the UK and became the 2nd priest at the Cathedral of St. Savva of Serbia of the Western European Diocese of the SOC (Notting Hill district in London). He developed friendly relations with the Serbian royal house in exile. O. Vladimir knew many people. famous people, including A.F. Kerensky, whom he confessed during a serious illness.

Mikhail Mikhailovich and Elizaveta Fedorovna Rodzianko with children. Standing (from left to right): Elena, Oleg, Vladimir, Elizaveta. Sitting: Alexandra. Photo. 1929

Mikhail Mikhailovich and Elizaveta Fedorovna Rodzianko with children. Standing (from left to right): Elena, Oleg, Vladimir, Elizaveta. Sitting: Alexandra. Photo. 1929

Priest Vladimir went to work in the Russian-language service of the British. BBC Broadcasting Corporation. In 1955, at his suggestion, religion was opened. radio broadcasting in the USSR and Eastern Europe. Europe; these programs broadcast services for the twelfth holidays from Russian. Holy Assumption Cathedral in London, there were theological conversations and sermons, and detailed information was given about religious events. life in the world; the programs became so popular that the corporation's management decided to make them weekly. Father Vladimir also gave sermons on the radio of the Slavic Bible Association, “Voice of Orthodoxy” in Paris and on Vatican Radio. He taught theology at the University of Oxford, at the St. Sergius Theological Institute in Paris, and participated in various interchrists. projects and events through the Commonwealth of Martyrs. Albania, etc. Sergius lectured on various theological issues. Met with Bud. Metropolitan Sourozhsky Anthony (Bloom). Topics of research of the priest. Vladimir concerned such issues as the doctrine of the Most Holy. Trinity, difference in approaches to understanding the procession of the Holy Spirit in the East. and Zap. Churches, doctrine of the Kingdom of Heaven, apologetics, the meaning of the Divine Liturgy, Russian. spirituality, the place of prayer, especially the Jesus prayer, in the life of a Christian, creation and evolution, the work of F. M. Dostoevsky, the Shroud of Turin, etc.

In 1961, he participated as part of the SOC delegation to the 3rd General Assembly of the WCC in New Delhi (India), where he first met Bishop. Tallinn and Estonian Alexy (Ridiger), bud. Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. Since then, the relationship between them has always remained close and kind. O. Vladimir sought to be present at those conferences and meetings, the organizers or participants of which were representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1968, together with the Catholic. Abbey at Ampleforth in Yorkshire (where one of the best private schools in England is located), he founded a Pan-Orthodox school for students of all Orthodox faiths. jurisdictions in Europe. In the same year he created the Orthodox Church. brotherhood of st. Simeon the New Theologian, under whom a shelter for Serbs operated. children, and founded the magazine. In the brotherhood, his deputy for some time was Bud. Ep. Sergievsky Vasily (Osborne).

In March 1978, Fr.’s wife died. Vladimir, the same year his eldest grandson died in a car accident. In 1979, Fr. Vladimir left his job at the BBC radio station, after which Met. Anthony of Sourozh tonsured him into monasticism with the name Vasily in honor of St. Basil the Great. V. was going to go to Mount Athos, but at the end. 1979, having received a letter of release from the Serbian Patriarch German (Djoric), he was accepted into the jurisdiction of the OCA and determined to be the vicar of its Primate. 12 Jan 1980 in the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Washington by Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor) of All America and Canada, concelebrated by a host of bishops, Archimandrite. V. was consecrated Bishop of Washington. The place of his archpastoral service was St. Nicholas Cathedral. On Nov. 1980 V. was appointed to the department of San Francisco, served in the cathedrals of the Most Holy. Our Lady of Los Angeles and Holy Trinity in San Francisco.

Vasily (Rodzianko), bishop. San Francisco. Photo. 90s XX century

Vasily (Rodzianko), bishop. San Francisco. Photo. 90s XX century

25 Apr 1984 V. retired and settled in Washington, where he became honorary rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral and director of the Holy Archangel Broadcasting Center, located in his small apartment. V. resumed regular broadcasting on the USSR. He taught at St. Vladimir and St. Tikhon DS, collaborated with protopr. Alexander Shmeman and protopr. John Meyendorff, other prominent Russian theologians. emigration.

On Nov. 1981, after a break of more than 60 years, V. visited his homeland. Since then, by private invitation, he has repeatedly visited Russia and Ukraine (especially since the beginning of the policy of perestroika in the country), met with Bud. Patriarch Alexy, with many hierarchs, priests and laity, accompanied by Orthodox Christians. pilgrims from America, on July 28, 1988, took part in the episcopal consecration of Mark (Petrovtsy; currently Archbishop of Kashirsky, manages the Patriarchal parishes in Canada). There was also an opportunity to visit Serbia again. In the 90s his weekly sermons delivered in Washington were broadcast on Russian television and radio channels; in Moscow, he conducted catechetical conversations live (My Destiny: A Series of Video Films / Studio of Educational and Educational Films of the Natalia Nesterova University. M., 1998-1999). V. preached many sermons in Sretensky husband. mon-re and in the Church of the Lesser Ascension in Moscow, of which he was an honorary rector. Gave lectures at the Sretensky Higher Orthodox Church. monastery school, in MDA and MDS, in RPU and PSTBI. For his missionary and educational activities, V. was awarded the Order of St. Innocent, Metropolitan Moscow. With the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II in 1998, V. became dean of the Orthodox Church. theological and philosophical fact of the New Humanitarian University in Moscow, but was unable to begin his duties due to illness. Until his last days he cared for the Orthodox Church. emigrants in Washington and the surrounding area, dealt with Serbian affairs. shelter in Ampleforth, where they sent all the funds received during 26 years of work for the BBC.

V. was open and sincere in his attitude towards everyone, acquired the gifts of pastoral love and prayer, and was an experienced confessor. He paid special attention to caring for young people and was loved by them.

23 Sep. 1999 Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor) led V.'s funeral at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Washington. Numerous clergy took part in the funeral service with a large crowd of worshippers. V. is buried in the city cemetery in Washington.

Cit.: A brief history of the schism in the Russian Church Outside of Russia and attempts to end it. 1935. Rkp.; Relations between the Church and the State in the USSR: (Doc., read in Subotica 02/25/1948). P., 1949; Church or Pope? // VZPEPE. 1953. No. 16. P. 207-222; How to solve the filioque problem? // Ibid. 1955. No. 16. P. 259-277; Historic Decisions by the Church in Russia // Syndesmos. Ser. 2. 1960. No. 10 (July); On the Calendar Change // The Orthodox Church. 1982. Dec.; Ecclesiological deviations of our days // ZhMP. 1995. No. 6/8. pp. 67-70; Ecclesiology, which dismembers the Church // Unity of the Church / PSTBI. M., 1996. S. 85-87; On the boundaries of the Church // Ibid. pp. 227-230; The theory of the collapse of the Universe and the faith of the fathers. M., 1996.

Lit.: Polsky M., prot. Canonical position of the highest church. authorities in the USSR and abroad. George, 1948; Troitsky S.V. About the untruth of the Karlovac schism. P., 1960; Grabbe G., protopr. The truth about the Russian Church at home and abroad. George, 1961; ROCOR. 2 t.; Witham L. Rodzianko: an Orthodox Journey from Revolution to Millennium, 1917-1988. Lanham (MD), 1990; Eulogius (Georgievsky), Metropolitan. The path of my life. M., 1994p; Popoviě R., jерej. Srpska Tsrkva in history. Srbije; Beograd, 1997; Zhivojinoviě D. R. Srpska Orthodox Church and new power: 1944-1950. Beograd, 1998; Eternal memory: Ep. Vasily Rodzianko // AiO. M., 2000. No. 1 (23). pp. 385-389; Kosik V.I. Russian Church in Yugoslavia (20-40s of the XX century). M., 2000; Tsurganov Yu. S. Failed revenge: White emigration in the Second World War. M., 2001; Shkarovsky M.V. Nazi Germany and the Orthodox Church. M., 2002; www.oca.org [Electr. resource].

A. M. Kataev

Vasily Rodzianko: books

Only in 1981, as a bishop, Rodzianko finally came to the USSR, where he personally met with his brethren, who had been nourished by radio sermons. Then Father Vasily Rodzianko came to his homeland several more times. He had deep and lively conversations, and was very interested in what was happening in Russian society and the Church.

He was a very kind and sympathetic person, a little eccentric and humble, people loved him, because they felt special dignity and holiness in him.

Since 1992, he became honorary rector of the Moscow Church of the Lesser Ascension, located on Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street.

Father Vasily Rodzianko lived in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra for about six months. “The Disintegration of the Universe”, or more precisely, “The Theory of the Disintegration of the Universe and Faith in the Fathers” is a famous work written by him in 1996.

In 1998, Rodzianko suddenly delivered his main sermon (the service took place in the Feodorovsky Cathedral of Tsarskoye Selo). He came out to his flock and said that his grandfather, Mikhail Vladimirovich, always wanted only the best for Russia, but he, like every weak person, also tended to make mistakes. His fatal mistake was that he sent his parliamentarians to ask Tsar Nicholas II to abdicate. And he, unexpectedly for everyone, renounced, signing a document for himself and for his son. Grandfather Rodzianko, having learned about this, then cried bitterly and realized that now Russia was finished. In the Yekaterinburg tragedy, he was just an involuntary culprit. However, an involuntary sin is still a sin. At the end of the sermon, Bishop Vasily Rodzianko asked forgiveness for himself and his grandfather in front of all of Russia and the Royal Family. And with the power given to him by God, he forgave and freed his grandfather from involuntary sin.

PORTAL CONTACTS

The publishing house of the Sretensky Monastery is preparing to publish a book by Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov). It included real stories that happened in different years, which were later used in sermons delivered by the author.

On September 17, 1999, Russian Bishop Vasily (Rodzianko) died in Washington.

In fact, Vladyka Vasily simply finally waited for the hour to go on a journey for which he had been diligently preparing all his life. Vladyka often tried to talk about this himself, but almost no one understood him. The interlocutors preferred to ignore his words or sympathetically babbled some nonsense, like: “What are you talking about, Vladyka, you still have to live and live! God is merciful...” But Vladyka himself was looking forward to this journey with impatience and the most lively interest.

In fact, he was an avid traveler during his lifetime. I would even say that traveling was his real calling, and moreover, a way of life.

The beginning of his wanderings, without a doubt, was the birth in one thousand nine hundred and fifteen, in the family estate of Otrada, of a baby who was later to become Bishop Vasily, but who for the time being was named Vladimir. The paternal grandfather of the newborn was the Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Empire, Mikhail Vladimirovich Rodzianko. And my mother came from an ancient family of princes Golitsyn and Sumarokov. And in general, many noble Russian noble families were either closely related or simply related to this newborn servant of God.

Vladyka undertook his next serious journey in nineteen twenty, when he was five years old. The journey ahead was long - by land and sea, through Turkey and Greece - to Serbia. The reason for this trip was forced - the new rulers of Russia were not going to leave the family of the former chairman of the State Duma alive. The Rodzian women settled in Belgrade, where the future ruler grew up.

He was lucky with his teachers. In addition to the fact that the flower of the Russian emigration was gathered in Yugoslavia, his immediate educators were Hieromonk John (Maximovich), who thirty years later became the famous Archbishop of San Francisco, and another thirty years later he was glorified as a saint in the Russian diaspora, and the great first hierarch of the Russian Abroad Church Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky). These were such giants of spirit who could not help but exert the strongest and most beneficial influence on their pupil.

But before them, the Lord had another, no less important, educator. His Lord also remembered for the rest of his life. It was a tutor, a former White Army officer. No one except little Volodya knew that this teacher beat and tortured the boy every day, skillfully making sure that no traces of torture remained. The fact was that this unfortunate officer hated Mikhail Vasilyevich Rodzianko, the grandfather of his pupil, with a fierce, lasting hatred, whom he considered to be the culprit of the death of Russia. But since the tutor did not dare to take out his pain on his grandfather, the grandson had to pay.

Many years later, Vladyka recalled: “My mother, shortly before her death, said: “Forgive me that I inadvertently allowed you to be tortured when you were a child.” “Mom, it was by God’s Providence,” I answered. “If it weren’t for what happened to me in my childhood, I wouldn’t have become what I am now...”

When Vladyka was already an old man, on one of his wanderings, the Lord brought him to Tsarskoe Selo. Vladyka was blessed to celebrate the liturgy here in the Church of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God, the same one that was the special brainchild of Emperor Nicholas II, and which the entire royal family loved. When the service was completed, Vladyka went out to the people and brought repentance for the guilt to which he had so keenly felt involved since childhood only because he was the grandson of his beloved grandfather. The Lord then said:

– My grandfather wanted only the best for Russia, but as a weak person he was often mistaken. He was mistaken when he sent his parliamentarians to the Emperor with a request for abdication. He did not think that the Emperor would deny for himself and his son, and when he found out this, he cried bitterly, saying: “Now nothing can be done. Now Russia is lost." He became the unwitting culprit of that Yekaterinburg tragedy. It was an involuntary sin, but still a sin. And now, in this holy place, I ask forgiveness for my grandfather and for myself before Russia, before its people and before the royal family, and as a bishop, with the power given to me by God, I forgive and release his soul from this involuntary sin.

The Rodziankas settled in Yugoslavia for a long time. Vladimir grew into a kind, tall and very handsome young man. He received an excellent education, fell in love with a wonderful girl who became his wife, and at the age of twenty-five he was ordained a priest in the Serbian Church. When the war began, Father Vladimir Rodzianko fearlessly participated in the resistance. And just as fearlessly he remained in Yugoslavia after the communist government came to power, although at that time many white emigrants, primarily those who were in special favor with the Soviet government, left this country. But Father Vladimir was a priest in a Serbian parish and considered it impossible for himself to leave his flock. Even under the threat of prison or execution.

They didn’t shoot him, but, of course, they put him in a camp. For eight years. And Tito’s camps were no less terrible than those in the USSR. Fortunately, Tito soon quarreled with Stalin and, in order to somehow annoy his former patron, to spite him, he released all Russian emigrants from the Yugoslav camps. So Vladyka spent only (or, to put it more correctly, a whole) two years in Yugoslav prisons. Straight from the camps, he set off on his journey again.

First he ended up in Paris, with his confessor, Archbishop John (Maksimovich). Then in London, where he began to serve in a Serbian Orthodox church. Here, in London, on BBC radio, Father Vladimir began broadcasting his church broadcasts to Russia, from which many Orthodox Christians in the Soviet Union learned about God, the Orthodox faith, and the history of the Church and their country.

Years passed, and Father Vladimir became a widower. The Church blessed him to accept monasticism, in which he received a new name - Vasily - and the rank of bishop. And now Bishop Vasily set off on another journey - to America. There, the new bishop brought thousands of Protestants, Catholics and simply people who did not believe in anything to Orthodoxy. But, as often happens, he did not come to the court, however, not so much for his energetic activities, but because he openly opposed one powerful, but completely unacceptable group in the Church - the lobby, as they say. As a result, His Eminence Bishop Vasily was sent to “retirement,” that is, to an unsecured, cash-strapped pension.

But even this uninspiring event became for the Bishop, who, following the teachings of the Church and his considerable life experience by that time, saw God’s Providence in everything, only a continuation of the wanderings so desired for his heart and a reason for new exploits and achievements. In those years, the opportunity to travel to Russia opened up. This was the long-standing and passionate dream of the Lord, and he rushed with delight to his holy native land.

Some stories of which I had the opportunity to be a witness and participant date back to that time.

Vladyka Vasily appeared in my life and in the life of my friend, the sculptor Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Klykov, as an amazing and unexpected joy.

This was in nineteen eighty-seven. The memorable day of the murder of the royal family, the seventeenth of July, was approaching. Vyacheslav Mikhailovich and I really wanted to perform a memorial service for the Emperor, but in those years it was not at all easy. It was, of course, unthinkable to come to a Moscow church and ask a priest to serve a funeral service for Nicholas II. Everyone understood perfectly well that this would immediately become known and the priest would be in trouble, the least of which would be dismissal from the church. We also didn’t want to perform the service at home: too many of our friends wanted to come to the funeral service.

Just these days, Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Klykov completed the monumental tombstone for Alexander Peresvet and Adrian Oslyaba, the schema warriors whom St. Sergius sent to the army of Demetrius Donskoy on the Kulikovo Field. This tombstone, after long resistance from the authorities, was installed on the grave of the schema-monks in the former Simonov Monastery, which after the revolution was occupied by the Moscow Monastery.

And then a thought occurred to me: since official permission to consecrate the tombstone of Peresvet and Oslyaba has already been received, we can also perform a memorial service for the royal family during the consecration. Of course, they will definitely send someone to keep an eye on us, but the spies are unlikely to understand the subtleties of the liturgical service - for them everything that happens will be a long and incomprehensible church service.

Vyacheslav Mikhailovich really liked this idea. All that was left was to find a priest who would agree to take the risk. Because risks, of course, still remained. Even if not very big. But if one of the spies understands what is really happening, then... Admittedly, we didn’t really want to think about this. But we didn’t want to endanger our familiar priests at all.

And then someone told us that Bishop Vasily (Rodzianko) recently flew to Moscow from America. Many of us have heard about this bishop, knew about his church radio broadcasts through “enemy voices.” After consulting, we came to the conclusion that we did not need to look for a better candidate to serve a memorial service for the royal family. Firstly, he is a White Guard. Secondly, for him, as a foreigner, the risks should be minimal. In any case, less than for our priests. “The Office of Deep Drilling,” as the KGB was called then, could not do anything special to him. Most likely... In any case, it will be easier for him to get out - he is an American, after all - we convinced ourselves. And in general, as they said in a somewhat cynical but popular rhyme of those times: “grandfather is old - he doesn’t care.” In the end, we simply had no other options!

In general, that same evening Vyacheslav Mikhailovich and I were at the Cosmos Hotel, where Vladyka Vasily was staying with a pilgrimage group of Orthodox Americans.

Vladyka came out to us in the hotel lobby... and we were amazed! An unusually handsome, stately, tall old man appeared before us, with an amazingly kind face. More precisely, without any irony or sentimentality, “a handsome old man,” as they put it in ancient times. We have never seen such bishops before. In him we could discern some other Russia, a completely different culture and a different bishop than those with whom we had the opportunity to communicate. And it’s not that ours were worse - no! But this one was truly a completely different bishop!

Vyacheslav Mikhailovich and I immediately felt ashamed that we were going to expose him - so big, kind, defenseless and trusting - to danger. After the first acquaintance and a few general phrases, we, without moving on to the main topic, apologized to the Bishop and went aside to whisper. We unanimously agreed to persistently ask the Bishop to think carefully before agreeing to our proposal.

To talk, the three of us went for a walk outside, away from the hotel microphones. As soon as Vladyka heard about the purpose of our visit, he literally stopped in delight in the middle of the sidewalk and, clutching my hand as if I was about to run away, expressed not just consent, but warmly assured us that we had been sent to him by the Lord God Himself ! While I was rubbing my elbow and, looking fearfully at Vladyka, wondering if there was a big bruise under my sleeve, everything was explained. It turns out that Vladyka has been serving a memorial service for the royal family on this day for fifty years, since he became a priest. And this time, finding himself in Moscow, he has been racking his brains for several days now, where and how can he perform this memorial service in the Soviet Union? And here we are with our pious adventure. The Lord saw in us no more no less than Angels, messengers of Heaven! And in response to our honest warnings about the danger, he just waved his hand in annoyance.

We still had a few questions that were resolved very quickly with Vladyka Vasily. According to ancient church canons, a bishop who has arrived in a foreign diocese cannot perform divine services without the blessing of the local ruling bishop: and for Moscow the Patriarch himself was such. To this, Vladyka said that just the day before, His Holiness Patriarch Pimen allowed him to serve the so-called “private services” in Moscow - prayers and memorial services. This was what we needed. A choir was also needed for the service. It turned out that almost all the pilgrims who came with Vladyka sing in church choirs.

Early in the morning, on the day of remembrance of the murder of the royal family, we met at the entrance. About five dozen of Klykov’s and my friends and two dozen more Americans gathered. These were mostly Orthodox Anglo-Saxons who spoke only English and Church Slavonic. It was necessary to come up with something urgently so that those who would look after us would not understand that foreigners had entered the territory of the plant. Therefore, to be sure, we had to scare our American co-religionists half to death in the basements of the Lubyanka and strictly order them not to open their mouths under any circumstances, except to sing a dirge. By the way, when Vladyka began to serve, they really formed a very good choir and sang the entire service by heart, almost without an accent.

Representatives of the plant administration and some other gloomy people escorted us along long corridors and passages to the burial place of Peresvet and Oslyabi. My heart sank when I saw that my comrades in civilian clothes were looking with distrust at the stately bishop and his frightened, silent, but still very different from Soviet people, flock. But everything worked out.

The Klykovo tombstone of Peresvet and Oslyaba was truly extraordinarily beautiful - ascetically strict and majestic. We started with the consecration, and then, as agreed, unnoticed by the officials, we moved on to the memorial service. Vladyka served with such feeling, and his parishioners sang so selflessly that everything passed in a flash! The Bishop did not utter the words “emperor”, “empress”, “tsarevich”, but simply remembered first the warriors Adrian Oslyabya and Alexander Peresvet, and then the murdered Nicholas, the murdered Alexandra, the murdered youth Alexy, the murdered maidens Olga, Tatiana, Maria and the young woman Anastasia , and the names of our and our deceased loved ones.

Who knows, maybe the people assigned to watch us understood everything? I guess that's how it was. But none of them showed any sign. As they said goodbye, they thanked us. And, as it seemed to Vyacheslav Mikhailovich and me, completely sincerely.

When we left the factory entrance and found ourselves back in the city, Vladyka Vasily suddenly came up to me and hugged me tightly. And then he said words that remained forever in my memory. He said that for the rest of his life he would be grateful to me for what I did for him today. And although I did not understand at all what I had done, the Vladyka’s words were very pleasant.

And indeed, Vladyka treated me most mercifully for the rest of his life, which became for me one of God’s precious and undeserved gifts.

In those years, the truth about the Passion-Bearer Emperor and his family was just being revealed to us. Books brought from abroad, stories of the older generation of believers - this is where we learned about the new martyrs and confessors of Russia.

As for Emperor Nicholas II and his family, it was precisely in those years that there were heated debates about him. Some people, whom I respect very much, were more than skeptical about glorifying the royal family as saints. Among them were a wonderful bishop, Metropolitan Nikolai of Nizhny Novgorod, and a professor at the Moscow Theological Academy, Alexey Ilyich Osipov. I could not answer these wise people in any way to their arguments. Except for one thing: I just knew that Emperor Nicholas and his family were saints.

This happened when I was going through perhaps one of the most difficult moments of my life. I, then still a novice, in the most unenviable mood, wandered into the Donskoy Monastery to the grave of Patriarch Tikhon. It was the day of remembrance of the murder of the royal family. That year, for the first time, a memorial service for them was performed openly. With all my heart I began to ask the royal martyrs, that if they had boldness before God, they would help me.

The funeral service is over. I left the temple in the same desperately difficult condition. At the door I met a priest whom I had not seen for several years. Without any questions on my part, he started a conversation with me and, suddenly, solved all my problems. He clearly and definitely told me what I needed to do. This, without exaggeration, largely decided my fate. And the question of honoring the royal family never again arose in my heart. No matter how many examples they give me about the weaknesses, mistakes and sins of the last Russian emperor.

Of course, our individual religious experience without the confirmation of the Church is worth little. But, fortunately for me, the Church, having canonized the passion-bearer-tsar and his family, gives me the right to recognize this small personal and not pretentious experience as not false.

In my circle of friends, no one doubted that for Russia, monarchy is the most organic and natural form of government. But we were more than skeptical about the active and diverse monarchical movements of that time.

Once, when I was serving under Metropolitan Pitirim, people dressed in pre-revolutionary officer uniforms came to the Publishing Department. Their uniforms were decorated with royal medals and orders, including the Crosses of St. George. I was surprised and asked:

– How did you decide to wear these awards? After all, they were given only for personal courage on the battlefield.

The guests assured me that everything was in order with their awards and wished for an immediate meeting with the Metropolitan. Vladyka, to my surprise, accepted them and listened attentively, not without curiosity, for a full hour and a half. The theme of the guests' visit was simple - they demanded that the Bishop immediately begin to help them in every possible way in the immediate restoration of the monarchy. Saying goodbye, Bishop Pitirim said thoughtfully:

“But give you the king now, you’ll shoot him again in a week!”

From then on, whenever Vladyka Vasily flew to Russia, he called me in advance. And I happily went with him on some next exciting adventure. And the Lord had plenty of reasons for them. Although, strange as it may seem, the Lord never undertook a single journey of his own free will.

He told me a special story about this.

In nineteen seventy-eight, his wife, Maria Vasilievna, died. Mother's death was a terrible shock for Vladimir's father. He loved her endlessly. And something happened that often happens to sincere Russian people. Father Vladimir started drinking.

Vladyka spoke candidly about this period of his life as a difficult ordeal that he had to endure.

Father Vladimir started drinking for real. Although, thanks to his remarkable health, enormous height and strength, for the time being this did not affect either his priestly activity or his work in radio broadcasts. According to his Serbian habit, Father Vladimir consoled himself with rakia - strong Balkan vodka. And it is unknown how all this would have ended, since neither the confessor, nor relatives, nor friends could do anything with Father Vladimir if not for the deceased herself, Mother Maria Vasilievna, who during her lifetime, as they say, was a great ascetic and prayer worker, did not come from the other world and did not rein in her husband.

Father Vladimir was so struck by this phenomenon, and especially by the severity of his mother, that he immediately came to his senses, and the Russian illness instantly left him.

He stopped drinking. But I also had to somehow move on. The children had already grown up by that time. Naturally, there was no question of a second marriage. Church canons completely prohibit second marriage for the clergy. And even if a widower priest dares to enter into a new union, he is forever deprived of the right to serve. But, besides this, Father Vladimir was so attached to his late mother that that part of his heart that was in charge of earthly love was occupied by Maria Vasilievna forever and ever. Father Vladimir began to pray fervently. He asked the Lord to send him some kind of correct and saving consolation. And the Lord answered his hopes.

After the death of Father Vladimir’s confessor, Archbishop John (Maksimovich), his new spiritual leader was the London Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh, an old friend of the Rodzianko family. It was he who informed Father Vladimir that the hierarchs of the American Orthodox Church were carefully but persistently trying to somehow convince widower Archpriest Vladimir Rodzianko to become a monk, and after that, for obedience, make him a bishop and send him to America - bishop in the capital city of Washington!

It must be said that Father Vladimir knew very well that true episcopal service is always associated not with honor and dignity, but with a multitude of daily, never-ending worries, with the complete impossibility of belonging to oneself and with a huge burden of responsibility, incomprehensible to worldly people. And in the Russian emigration, the fate of the bishop is also poverty, often reaching outright poverty. And the age of the applicant for the bishopric by that time was not the youngest - he was sixty-six years old, of which he had already served as a priest for forty years.

But Father Vladimir accepted the offer of monasticism and episcopacy as the will of God and the answer to his prayers. He cautiously agreed... The hierarchs in America and England immediately shook hands - and the fate of Father Vladimir was decided!

But just before his monastic tonsure, the future monk suddenly asked his confessor, Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh, an unexpected and simple-hearted question:

“Now, Vladyka, I will accept tonsure from you.” I will give great monastic vows to the Lord God and His holy Church. As for the vow of chastity, everything is clear to me. With the vow of non-covetousness, everything is also clear. With the vow concerning prayer, too. But with the vow of obedience - I can’t understand anything!

- How so? – Metropolitan Anthony was surprised.

- That's how! – Father Vladimir explained judiciously. - After all, they will immediately make me not just a monk, but a bishop? This means that I myself, according to my position, will manage and lead. Who should I listen to then? To whom will you command to be obedient?

The Metropolitan thought about it. And then he said:

– And you be obedient to every person who meets on your life’s path. If only his request is within your power and does not conflict with the Gospel.

Father Vladimir immediately liked this commandment! Although subsequently those who were close to the Vladyka had a very hard time from his constant readiness for the decisive and irrevocable fulfillment of this monastic vow. In particular, I mean myself. This Vladyka’s holy obedience more than once turned into real hard labor for me!

Let’s say we’re walking with him around Moscow. Rainy, miserable day. We are in a hurry to get somewhere. And suddenly Vladyka is stopped by an old woman with a string bag.

“Batiushka!..” she rattles in her old voice, not knowing, of course, that in front of her is not a priest, but a whole bishop, and from America at that. - Father, at least help me - consecrate the room! I’ve been asking for our father Ivan for three years now, but he still doesn’t come! Maybe you’ll have mercy and sanctify him, huh?

I don’t even have time to open my mouth when Vladyka expresses his most ardent readiness to fulfill the request, as if all his life he had just been waiting for the opportunity to consecrate my grandmother’s room.

“Lord!..” I say reproachfully, but already doomedly. “You don’t even know where this room is!” Grandma, where should we go?

- Yes, it’s not far - in Orekhovo-Borisovo! Metro "Kashirskaya", and from there about forty minutes by bus! Near! – the grandmother joyfully reports.

And Vladyka, leaving all our important matters (it was useless to contradict him in such cases), goes first across all of Moscow to the church to a familiar priest for everything necessary for the rite of consecration. (Naturally, I, cursing everything in the world, trudge after him). And the old woman (and where did she get her strength from!), still not believing herself with joy, trotts after us and incessantly tells Vladyka about her children and grandchildren, who have not visited her for a long time.

After going to the temple, at rush hour, we go down to the metro and, with transfers, get to the Kashirskaya station. From there, as grandma promised, we trudged for forty minutes, squeezed in a crowded bus, to the final stop. And finally, this descendant of the Golitsyn princes, the Sumarokov counts and the Meyendorff barons consecrates an eight-meter room in a nine-story Moscow panel building, and does it in the same uniquely prayerful, majestic and solemn way as he always performed divine services. And then he sits at the table next to the happy granny (and both of them are terribly pleased with each other) and praises her treat - tea with dried fruit and old candied cherry and bone jam. And then he gratefully takes from her - does not refuse - a ruble, which she secretly thrusts at “father” when parting.

- God save you! – the old woman says to the Vladyka. “Now it will be sweet for me to die in this room.”

Time after time I saw how Vladyka Vasily, with some special readiness and with anticipation of the discovery of something very important for him, literally gives himself over to obedience to everyone who turns to him. It was clear that in addition to the most sincere willingness to serve people, behind this there was also something very special, known only to him.

In these reflections, I was reminded that the word “obedience” comes from the verb “to listen.” And gradually I began to realize that through this humble obedience, Vladyka learned to sensitively hear and comprehend the will of God. From this, his whole life became nothing more or less than a mysterious, but constant and completely real conversation with God, the knowledge of God’s Providence, where God speaks to a person not with words, but with the circumstances of life and the fact that he gives His interlocutor the greatest reward - to be an instrument of God in our world.

Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov) January 18, 2011 Pravoslavie.Ru

Death

Rodzianko experienced the bombing of Yugoslavia by NATO forces very hard and difficult. When asked how he felt about this, he replied that it was as if Russia had been bombed. After these events, Vasily suffered greatly and fell ill.

Two weeks before his death, during one of his conversations, he said that it was hard for him, his legs couldn’t hold him up at all, he had to serve the Liturgy while sitting, and when he couldn’t sit, the deacons supported him, and by the grace of God he even received communion.

The cause of the bishop’s death was cardiac arrest. He died on September 17, 1999 in Washington. The funeral took place on September 23. Three bishops performed his funeral service at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Washington. A large number of people from the clergy and worshipers came to say goodbye to this amazing man. He was buried in Washington at the Rock Creek Cemetery, in a plot for Orthodox believers. This is how Father Vasily Rodzianko ended his long and righteous journey.

Heritage

Today, a great gift for believers was the film “My Destiny,” based on the book of the Bishop, in which Bishop Vasily spoke a lot about his destiny and life.

A chapter of the wonderful book “Unholy Saints”, written by Archimandrite Tikhon Shevkunov, with whom he was personally acquainted, is also dedicated to him. There he describes one unique case when, somewhere in the late 80s, they went to a summer Soviet-American youth camp organized by the Kostroma diocese. At the intersection of country roads, they saw a terrible accident and stopped. In the middle of the road, a dead driver was lying next to an overturned motorcycle, and a truck was standing on the side of the road. His son stood next to the deceased. Vladyka approached him and asked whether his father was baptized or a believer, he replied that his father did not go to church, but often listened to programs with sermons from London, and said that the only person he always trusted was Rodzianko . Father Vasily said that Rodzianko was him. The son was simply shocked, like all the other witnesses of the accident who had gathered. Meanwhile, Father Vasily began to read the prayer of departure and served a memorial service for the deceased.

In his legacy, he left many sermons useful for the salvation of the soul, and Bishop Vasily compiled his life memories and spiritual experiences in the collections “Salvation by Love” and “My Destiny.”

Memoirs of the personal secretary of Bishop Vasily (Rodzianko)

The woman had serious problems: after the divorce, her husband wanted to sue the children and deprive her of maternal rights. And the husband had great chances. The parishioner almost despaired; all legal means and attempts to reach an agreement with the father of the children were unsuccessful. Even then I thought: it would be nice to get to know this bishop. But it turned out that we are talking about Bishop Vasily (Rodzianko), who died in 1999. A parishioner, on the advice of friends, went to the bishop’s grave with prayer and a request for help.

Since then, I have heard many times from people about Bishop Vasily, about his strong prayers, about how he brought Orthodoxy to the United States, how he helped believers, how people from Catholic, Protestant or generally atheistic families came to the Orthodox faith.

My daughter Dasha had long known Marilyn Sweezy, who was the secretary of Bishop Vasily Rodzianko.

It was interesting not only to learn from Marilyn about the Bishop, but also her personal story, her path, the path of an American from a Catholic family to Orthodoxy deserve attention.

Marilyn, an open, responsive, sophisticated woman, kindly invited Dasha and me to her home for a cup of tea. By the way, her house is located not far from the Russian Embassy.

The hospitable hostess showed us Vladyka Vasily’s long rosary; she carefully keeps them and says that she prays according to them, but she can’t do it after several hundred prayers. She showed us a wonderful portrait of Vladyka, a milkman, which he brought from London and which “served” for many years at the altar; Vladyka poured hot water for them. All these and other wonderful items will go to the museum-chapel of Vladyka Vasily.

– When I met you, I was sure that you had Russian roots. But I was wrong. How did Russia come into your life?

“It happened in 1958, when I was studying at Manhattan Catholic Women’s College in New York, I had to choose four additional disciplines. I chose the first three easily, but the last one raised a question. And then it seemed to dawn – Russia! This decision changed my whole life.

My Russian language teacher is one of those people who are never forgotten. This is an outstanding personality - Olga Konstantinovna Voronova (former maid of honor of the Empress, daughter of the actual state councilor, huntsman of the court of His Imperial Majesty Count Konstantin Petrovich Kleinmichel and Ekaterina Nikolaevna Bogdanova - daughter of the Kursk provincial leader of the nobility). True, Voronova herself never told us this. We, young students, found the information ourselves. Olga Konstantinovna combined an amazing combination of qualities that are inherent in representatives of the old aristocracy: restraint and kindness, a brilliant mind and simplicity, noble simplicity. She spoke excellent English and French. She told us a lot about pre-revolutionary Russia, about the royal family, what it was like, what real Christians the tsar and his household were, how she and her husband were saved thanks to the kindness and responsiveness of ordinary Russian people. She introduced us to Russia, culture, traditions. I wanted to learn more and more about Russia and the royal family.

I even named my children in honor of the royal martyrs (this was even before canonization, but I believed that this would happen). When I told my little son Nicholas who he was named after, the child thought about it and asked: “Mom, does that mean I will be Nicholas III?”

– When did you personally become acquainted with Russia?

– In the summer after my first year, my three classmates and I decided to spend the summer in Europe and found a three-week tour to the USSR. I came home and joyfully told my parents: “It would be nice to go there!” But my mother said sharply: “No, under no circumstances, she can’t go there, it’s dangerous, it’s the Soviet Union!”

I was so worried. My friends could go on tour, but I couldn’t. And I decided that I had to do something, come up with something. From college, I called my dad at work in Chicago and told him about Voronova, about her character, and at the end of the telephone “presentation” I asked my father if I could go? There were a few seconds of silence, and then: “Okay, honey.” It was an unforgettable trip.

– Travel is often associated with adventure...

– My friend’s parents, who were Catholics, told us that we should definitely meet a Catholic pastor in Moscow. We, of course, listened to our parents. And so Father Louis Dion opens the door for us, invites us in, then in the living room he turns on classical music at full volume and says: “Now we can talk.” It was a hot July, Dion treated us to ice-cold lemonade and said, I remember almost word for word: “There is a place in Moscow that you should definitely see - the city of Zagorsk, the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius.”

Father Louis explained everything in detail: where to buy tickets, how to get to the station, how to find the train. My friends and I - imagine, 18-19 years old, at that age everything seems easy - of course, we had no doubt that we would be able to get to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. But as soon as we boarded the train, it became clear: there was a chance to pass our stop. Judge for yourself. There is no conductor, stops are no more than one minute, they are announced quickly, the doors open and close, everything flashes before your eyes... What to do? I sat down with the friendly grandmothers and explained the situation. “Don’t be afraid of anything, I’ll tell you!” - reassured the pretty elderly fellow traveler. After a while she comes up and says: “In two stops Zagorsk!” Then: “Here is Zagorsk, come out now!”

My friends and I went out, and there was only one person standing on the deserted platform - a young officer. He looked at us carefully, his gaze lingering on our shoes. She “gave us away” - it was clear that we were foreigners. But he smiled. We decided to take a chance and asked how we could get to the monastery. Having received all the instructions, we moved on. This was again a trick, because we were not asked about documents: we had the right to be in Moscow, and to visit Zagorsk we needed additional permission.

We walked along the streets and remembered Turgenev. Streets, roads without curbs, silence, tranquility - like pictures from the books of a Russian writer. We met a student, we also asked him how to get to the Lavra. The young man led us directly to the entrance to the territory of the Lavra. I asked him if he wanted to join and see the temples with us. Our guide was embarrassed and firmly said: “No.” I wasn’t offended, of course, because I understood him and the situation in the country.

“I must become Orthodox”

And finally, we are in the Lavra. Beautiful temples, peace. We froze and didn’t know which temple to go to first. And they decided: we need to go to the oldest - Holy Trinity Cathedral. I remember very vividly the moment we walked inside. I remember it like it was yesterday. And no wonder: we found ourselves in another world. No fuss, beauty, peace. In the temple there were only us and the hieromonk, who read the akathist Rev. Sergius. I had not yet been baptized into Orthodoxy, I knew almost nothing about St. Sergius, but the atmosphere, the beautiful prayers, and the icons made an impression. And as I remember now, a thought flashed through my mind: if I have the opportunity to help believers in Russia, I will definitely help, but I must also become Orthodox.

– After the trip, did you become even more interested in Russia?

– After women’s college, I applied and was successfully accepted into Harvard University’s master’s program in the study of the Soviet Union, of course, Russian language and literature. This was also a miracle; my admission was largely due to the fact that Olga Voronova wrote me an excellent reference and recommendation. The first thing that struck me about Harvard was the difference between Olga Voronova, a Russian language teacher in New York, and a Harvard teacher. The latter was from the Soviet Union, and Voronova - you already know her history and origin. These are different manners, different speech, different Russian language. But Professor Georgy Florovsky taught at Harvard. I was lucky because it was his last year and he retired after us. Of course, I remember his seminars, they were fantastic, Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace, Russian classics.

When I met my future husband, Robert Sweezy, in 1965, I told him about Voronova and her influence on me. Later, he found O. Voronova’s book “Coup”, found her address and wrote her a letter (there were no mobile phones, Internet or email back then) and asked her to make a dedicatory inscription for me. He succeeded, and Robert gave me this book for my 25th birthday.

– Have you ever met Olga Konstantinova?

– Voronova and her husband left for New York and settled near the Jordanville Monastery. Voronova’s husband died and was buried at the monastery; Olga, having become a widow, left with her daughter and her family for Australia. And two or three years ago I received an e-mail from my granddaughter Olga! How did she know my name, or even know about my existence? I'm not Voronova's only student. Contacts, she found my address through St. Nicholas Cathedral. We correspond with her. Alexandra, that’s her name, collected information and materials about her grandmother’s life in the USA. She also asked me to write memoirs about Voronova.

– You and your husband moved to the US capital. Can we say that Orthodox life began here?

– In Washington, I met Vladimir Sergeevich Tolstoy. We talked about Russia, the royal family, believers. V. Tolstoy invited me to join the Committee for the Defense of Persecuted Orthodox Christians in the USSR, and I immediately agreed. At the Lavra, I promised myself to help the Orthodox in Russia. The chairman of the committee was Archpriest Viktor Potapov, and I helped, translated materials, organized meetings, and prepared articles for publication in defense of the persecuted. We covered cases of persecution of believers in print media, collected and sent money, wrote protests to the Soviet Embassy, ​​did everything to make the world community aware of the persecution of believers in the USSR.

I also began going to Saturday evening services at St. Nicholas Cathedral. And one day I ran into V. Tolstoy again. He asked me to become godmother to his adopted son Nikolai. I explained that I could not, since I myself am not Orthodox. To which Vladimir Sergeevich said: “So, the time has come to become Orthodox!”

It happens that a person is ready to be baptized, to accept Orthodoxy, but some kind of push is needed, someone needs to push him towards this. Apparently, for me, V. Tolstoy’s proposal became that important impetus. I confidently said: “Yes, I want to convert to Orthodoxy!” I turned to Maria Potapova (Viktor Potapov’s mother) to become my godmother.

Mother Maria was an active member of the committee, she was the only Orthodox woman I knew at that time. Mother not only agreed, but also introduced me to her uncle, Bishop Vasily (Rodzianko). He was recently consecrated bishop at St. Nicholas Cathedral.

– What is your first impression of the Bishop?

– They often say about Vladyka: this is a real Russian bishop. Handsome, tall, with a beard. Kind, delicate, very educated.

Bishop Rodzianko came to our home for dinner, met my husband Robert and asked him directly: “Do you have any objections to Marilyn’s conversion to Orthodoxy?”

And my husband, a devoted Catholic, answered almost without hesitation: “No, Your Eminence, because I know how important Orthodoxy, Russia is in her life.”

I converted to Orthodoxy. The Bishop came to visit us again for dinner, looked at Robert and me and said: “You are like an icon of the reunion of the Western and Eastern Churches.” I became Orthodox in 1981 and almost immediately became the bishop’s secretary until his death.

“It’s like the baptism of our home!”

- And parents?

“My parents were also understanding.” Moreover, they themselves converted to Orthodoxy. Once, during my next trip to my parents in Florida, I suggested that they consecrate their house - call an Orthodox priest. The parents didn't mind. Just at this time, Bishop Vasily was also in Florida, I called him, and he and Father Michael painted crosses on the walls, read prayers, and lit candles. Then there was a festive dinner, and my father, who was greatly impressed by the consecration of the house, said with almost tears in his eyes: “It’s like the baptism of our house!”

A month later he had a severe heart attack. And we understood that he would never leave the hospital. I am sure that again it was God’s providence: the consecration of the house prepared my father to convert to Orthodoxy. At the hospital, I asked him if it was possible to call Father Michael, who consecrated our house with Bishop Vasily.

Father agreed! He confessed, converted to Orthodoxy and took communion. And a few days later he died. Moreover, he departed to the Lord very peacefully. I was nearby and saw that in the last seconds of his life he sat down on the bed, looked in front of him as if he saw someone - and his eyes shone, he smiled! And then he sighed quietly, lay down on the bed and seemed to fall asleep.

After dad died, mom wanted him to have a funeral service in Washington. She knew she would move there to live near me. And Vladyka Vasily performed the funeral service for my father in St. Nicholas Cathedral. My husband Robert was at the funeral service and after the ceremony he said that after his death he would like the same memorial service and funeral service.

– Vladyka often traveled to Russia after perestroika, and you accompanied him. Can you tell us about these trips?

– The first trip was in 1987 for Christmas. We touched upon the topic of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus' with one young monk, and he said that soon there would be a new baptism in the country - a revival of faith, a return of people to the fold of the Church. And I understand that this is what happened. I traveled a lot with Bishop Vasily around Russia and observed: in churches large and small, on major holidays and ordinary Sundays, there are always many believers. And among those praying there are many young people, which is very pleasing.

And the trip of 1988 fell on July 17, a sad date - the execution of the royal family. And the Bishop and I had the following dialogue on the plane:

Me: Vladyka, we will be in Russia on the 17th.

Vl: Yes...

Me: We need to celebrate a memorial service.

Vl.: No, we can’t. (Even though it was Gorbachev’s times, it was still Soviet times)

And yet, there was a memorial service! And that's how it all turned out. We settled in “Cosmos”, and Gosha Shevkunov, the future Metropolitan Tikhon, came to us with the words: “Vladyka Vasily, July 17th! We can’t do anything, but you are another matter!”

There was a way out. In the Staro-Simonov Monastery there was a memorial service for two famous heroes of the Battle of Kulikovo, monks Alexander Peresvet and Rodion Oslyaba. And to this memorial service we added a memorial service for the royal family. Rodzianko’s delegation included believers from the choir of St. Nicholas Cathedral. We sang to the soldiers of Kulikov and immediately, without interruption, to the royal family. And before that, in the temple, between the two sarcophagi of the warrior-monks of Kulikov, a white ribbon was stretched, on which the names of the royal martyrs were embroidered in gold letters. After the service, Muscovites quickly took off the ribbon and gave it to Vladyka, saying that they could not keep it for themselves. Vladyka took it with him, and the ribbon will also be in the chapel-museum of Vl. Vasily.

Vladyka witnessed the 1991 coup. The Bishop was just at a service in one of the Kremlin churches, it was the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, when the coup attempt began. Both he and his companions were not injured. The Bishop did not comment on this matter, he only prayed.

– Was Vladyka Vasily recognized in Russia? After all, he hosted such programs and was a famous white emigrant?

– Different stories happened. Once Vladyka served in one of the Moscow churches, one of the believers asked: “Whose voice is this? Such a familiar voice, I heard it somewhere.” I explained to her that this was Bishop Vasily Rodzianko. She was happy because she was a regular listener to his programs on the BBC about God and faith. The woman asked after the service to take a photo with the bishop as a souvenir. Vladyka Vasily was always an open person and never refused such things.

One day we were invited by Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov) to the workshop of the famous Orthodox sculptor V. Klykov, in the center of Moscow - on Bolshaya Ordynka. Opposite it is the Martha-Mariinsky Convent (although at that time it was still being restored). We decided to take a walk next to her. A young mother was walking towards us and pushing a baby stroller. The Bishop greeted the stranger and asked what the child’s name was. “Elizabeth,” the woman said.

It was amazing! We asked a young Muscovite whether she understood the significance of her daughter’s name. It turned out that they named their daughter that by accident. And the place for the walk was also chosen completely by chance. We told her whose name the girl bears - the founder of this monastery, who is Grand Duchess Elisaveta Feodorovna. Her mother Alice was the daughter of Queen Victoria of England, and her father Theodore Ludwig IV was the Grand Duke of Hesse. Elizabeth married the uncle of the future Emperor Nicholas II, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich Romanov.

Little Lisa’s mother listened to everything, and then quietly asked me, pointing to Vladyka: who is this?

I explained. And the interlocutor looked at him and said with admiration: “Look at his face, as if he is with Angels, as if there are Angels around him!”

On one of his trips, Vladyka went to an interview about his book “My Destiny.” On the way, I saw a sad incident: an elderly man died as a result of an accident. His son bent over the deceased. The Bishop asked the young man whether his father was Orthodox. The man told an incredible story: “Yes, my father was an Orthodox believer, and he has a spiritual father. Only he is not from Russia, he lives abroad, broadcasts on the radio and his name is Vladyka Vasily.” When Vladyka heard such words, he almost froze and said quietly: “Vladyka Vasily Rodzianko is me! And we will hold a funeral service and memorial service.” This story amazed him so much.

– 20 years have passed since the death of Bishop Vasily...

– On September 17, I was supposed to take Bishop to the ceremony for accepting US citizenship. I went to pick him up in the morning, knocked, but no one opened. After some time, I got scared, opened the door with my key (I always had it, sometimes I brought some things to Vladyka’s house, took something away). Vladyka Vasily lies on the floor without breathing or pulse. I immediately called Mother Maria Potapova. We called the police and doctors. Experts declared death from a stroke.

On the third day after the death of Vladyka, I was preparing breakfast for my husband and suddenly I looked up and saw Vladyka Vasily. He stood and smiled at me, calm, handsome. It was a maximum of a minute, but after the vision it became so easy, I realized that Vladyka was with us, he was praying for us, he saw us. And he’s not offended or angry.

People like Vladyka Vasily brought Orthodoxy, faith in God, love for people, people are drawn to them.

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