Bishop Joasaph Zhevahov canonized in the face of the Holy Martyrs.

The genus of the Zhevakhovs has its roots, no less than the ancestor of all Georgians and the first ruler of the Caucasus, Cartlos, the grandson of Japheth, one of the three sons of Noah. Their distant descendant, King Javakh I was the ancestor of the clan of the princes Javakhishvili, or Javakhovs. In 1738, Shio Javakhov accepts Russian citizenship and becomes prince Semyon Javakhov, even later the Russified name turned into "Zhevakhov". Semyon Zhevakhov received a princely assignment in Kobelyansky district Then it was Novorossiysk, later Poltava province.

Nikolay Zhevakhov

Many of the famous and well-known faithful gave this dynasty of Russia. Zhevakhov mountain in Odessa is named after the hero of wars with Napoleon, Major-General Ivan Zhevakhov. The fate of the twin brothers of this family - Nikolai and Vladimir - is interesting. The first was a prominent statesman, a member of the Russian Assembly, a monarchist. After emigrating, after the revolution, he became an ardent anti-Soviet who collaborated with the fascists of Italy and Germany.

Kinship with the Wonderworker

The second is known as Bishop Joasaph Zhevahov, or the PriestMartyr Joasaph, Bishop of Mogilev. Zhevakhov two times crossed with the genus Gorlenko, who gave the world the prelate of Belgorod and All Russia miracle worker Joasaph (in the world of Joachim Andreevich Gorlenko). Nikolai Davidovich Zhevakhov did a great job of collecting and publishing biography materials of the miracle-worker. They became the prologue to his canonization.

Bishop Joasaph Zhevakhov (Prince Vladimir Zhevakhov in the world) took monastic vows as the saint of Belgorod and All Russia, with whom he was related by maternal line. The son of the above mentioned Semyon Zhevakhov, Spiridon married the niece of Maria Danilovna Gorlenko, the mother of the future prelate of Belgorod.

Secular education

The twin brothers were born in 1979 on November 24, in the estate of the parents - the village of Linovitsa, Piryatinsky Uyezd (Poltava province). According to other sources - in Priluki. Their mother Ekaterina Konstantinovna (before Wulfert's marriage) owned the house in Kiev. There, the childhood of the future bishop of Mogilev was passed. Education Vladimir Davidovich Zhevakhov got quite secular - he graduated in 1899 with a second-degree diploma at Kiev University (law school).

Close intertwining of worldly and spiritual

First he served in the court chamber, then for three terms (from 1902 to 1914) was elected world judge for Piryatinsky, and then in Kiev uyezd. Since 1911, he is a senior adviser to the Kiev provincial government, who, on occasion, serves as vice-governor. The First World War begins, and the future bishop Joasaph Zhevakhov is on the South-Western Front at the disposal of the authorized Red Cross. And all this time, along with the main work VD Zhevakhov is actively engaged in missionary and spiritual-educational activities. In 1908, for example, he was a full member of the MIP (Orthodox Missionary Society) and co-founder of the Orthodox Kamchatka Society founded by Hieromonk Nestor. And in 1909 - a full member of the same organization in Kiev.

Missionary and benefactor

By decree of the Holy Synod in 1910, VD Zhevakhov was appointed to a commission engaged in the construction of a crayfish for the relics of St. Joasaph of Belgorod. In 1912 he was elected an honorary member of the Kursk missionary-enlightenment brotherhood. Along the way, in 1911 he accepted the offer of the hegumen Valentine, whom he met when he visited the Kiev Trinity Monastery in Ionino (founded by Archimandrite Vydubitsky Monastery Iona) to take part in the revival of the ancient monastery in the Zverinets tract near Kiev.

Excavations in the outskirts of Kiev and the foundation of the monastery

With his inherent energy and sincere desire to spend his own money for a good cause, the future bishop Joasaph Zhevakhov, from July 1, 1912, with the blessing of Metropolitan Flavian, takes a six-year lease plot, but which was the ancient Zverinetsky Michael-Arkhangelsk Monastery. Excavations were carried out on his personal funds. Vladimir Davidovich was very lucky - the caves and burial places of the 12th century were cleared, the image of the Most Holy Theotokos was found. The prince interceded before the Holy Synod for assigning the official name of the Zverinets Icon of the Mother of God to the found image. In April 1915, permission was obtained.

By his efforts at the caves a monastery was founded, called "Zverinetsky". Who could become an honorary guardian in it? Of course, it becomes Prince Vladimir Davidovich. And immediately the construction of the over-cave church begins, which was consecrated in 1913 on December 1. VD Zhevakhov really wanted to redeem the land and give it to the Zverinetsky monastery, but in 1917 he changed all plans.

The first post-revolutionary years

In 1918, under the Bolsheviks, brothers as novices secretly were in the monastery of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin. Under Hetman P.P. Skoropadsky Vladimir Davidovich was appointed as an official at special assignments attached to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. When Kiev occupied Denikin's Volunteer Army, Nikolai Zhevakhov emigrated, and Vladimir went to a family estate with his friend, spiritual writer Nilus SA , and his family. After the revolution, for some time, the future bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church taught foreign languages and was a research fellow of the All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences.

The first arrest and tonsure

After his arrest in 1924 and his semiannual imprisonment, VD Zhevakhov settled in the Ioninsky Monastery and asked Patriarch Tikhon for a blessing on the adoption of monasticism. In the same year, he takes tonsure with the name of Joasaph in honor of the saint of Belgorod. He took tonsure at the Zverinetsky cave temple. Very quickly he was ordained first in hierodeacon, then hieromonk, later in ordination (ordained) to the bishop of Dmitrovsky, vicar of the Kursk diocese.

Camp and link

However, for the commemoration of the emperor and his family in prayer and for allegedly keeping the anti-state literature of VD Zhevakhov in 1926, they arrest and send to Solovetsky special purpose camp for three years. After serving his term, Zhevakhov was sent into exile for three years in the Naryn district. In 1932 he took the Pyatigorsk department, and since 1934 VD Zhevakhov - bishop of Mogilev. Two years later he was sent to rest, and he settles in Belgorod.

Rehabilitation and canonization

1937 is approaching, and the bishop is arrested for taking part in the "fascist organization of churchmen." His words about the murder of Kirov, which he called "deserved punishment", played a decisive role. The verdict on the shooting was carried out on the day of its issuance - December 4, 1938 in the city of Kursk. In 1990, on May 20, Joasaph, Bishop of Mogilev was rehabilitated. And in 2002 he was canonized in the face of the Holy Martyrs. The archimandrites Ion and Cassian, governors of the Holy Trinity Vydubitsky Monastery and the Mourning Zverinets Skete, petitioned about this.