Kostantin Dyachkov

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How Pyotr Timofeyevich became a monk

conversation over a cup of tea in the evening

– How long ago did you become a monk, father?

– Well, it was last Cross Saturday. They did not prepare me at all. Listen how it happened...

On the Candlemas I was waiting for people at the St.George’s church as usual. I was getting ready but suddenly monks came. At the moment I was standing by the lectern and asking Lina to write notes. All of a sudden I saw Lukian himself coming (rural dean of the district, also superior of the Alexandro-Svirsky monastery – KD). He gave me his staff and said: "Well, it will be my gift to you when you get old". I answered: "I am old enough now". He did not say anything to this. We had a great service, and I was so happy, almost in the seventh heaven. Singing was so nice because of the monks.

After the service I was given a piece of altar bread and asked to talk to the priest. He was talking about nothing special but seemed to know all my biography.

Then my quiet life went on, we kept working... Then all of a sudden he came again. I mean Georgy, a monk from Svirsky monastery. He said to me: "Well, get ready, we are going to the monastery. I was given an assignment to bring you right away." So we went. At first I was surprised that he drove so far for someone as unimportant as me. But he said again that it was his assignment, that the archimandrite told him to bring Pyotr so he went.

They brought me into the office. Father Lukian came and invited me into his own office. Everything was so shiny there, so nice, everything covered with carpets... He came closer to me, blessed me and said: "Now let’s go onto the carpet". Well, in the past this saying was used for those breaking rules or laws... But he explained to me that he meant the procedure of cutting hair to become a monk. I had to think about it. So I did not give the answer right away but took a few minutes to think. After a pause I said that there was God’s will for everything and gave my consent.

Then I was told to write down my autobiography, mention all my rewards and other things and give this paper to the secretary, mother Ludmila. She gave me some paper and I started writing. Then a tailor came and measured me to make me robes.

I felt uneasy, everything was so unexpected, and I did not plan on becoming a monk then. But I could not turn down this offer. So I started beating about the bush and asked the priest if I could wait a little.

He asked me: "What are you afraid of? Nowadays many people like you, men advanced in years, become monks." I thought it was a quite good thing to do and agreed. Then Lukian said: "We will make you a monk during the second week of the Lent."

So a week passed, then two weeks, and the third week started. I thought that they might have forgotten about me. But they have not. They came that Friday to take me to the monastery and on Saturday I became a monk together with Gena (Gennady). He was given a new name – Seraphim and I kept my old name which is fine with me. Praise the Lord!

This is how I became a monk. And I did not reveal it to anybody, so nobody knew, especially my children. I do not tell them anything and they do not tell me anything. Well, now they probably know that I am a monk.

kd