Bishop of the Russian Church Dimitry of Rostov: biography and facts from life

Among the numerous Moscow shrines, the Temple of Dimitry of Rostov in Ochakovo is distinguished by the fact that it was built and consecrated in honor of the first saint who was canonized in the synodal period, that is, in the years when Peter I abolished the patriarchate and the supreme ecclesiastical authority passed to the Holy Synod. The founder of the Rostov grammar school, this saint of God, went down in history as an outstanding teacher and enlightener.

Childhood and youth of the future saint

Dimitry Rostovsky was born in December 1651, in the small Ukrainian village of Makarovka, near Kiev. At the holy baptism, he was given the name Daniel. Parents of the boy, not being distinguished by either nobility or wealth, were people respected for their piety and kindness. After receiving a home education, the young man enters the Bratsk School, opened at the Kiev Epiphany Church. It exists to this day, but has already been transformed into the Theological Academy.

Possessing outstanding abilities and perseverance, Daniel with his success in studies soon stood out from the general mass of students, and was duly noted by teachers. However, he gained the greatest fame in those years with his exceptional piety and profound religiosity. But nevertheless, such a successful study soon had to be abandoned.

Beginning of the monastic path

The future prelate Demetrius of Rostov was another eighteen-year-old boy, when in the course of Russia's bloody war with the Poleshnevsky Cossacks, Poland, allied with them, temporarily seized Kiev, and the Fraternal College was closed. Having lost his beloved mentors, Daniel continues to independently learn the sciences and three years later, under the influence of patristic literature, takes monastic vows with the name of Dimitry. This important event in his life was completed in the Kirillov monastery, the citator of which was his elderly father at that time.

In this monastery the future prelate began the path to his glorification. The life of Dimitry of Rostov, compiled many years after his blessed death, likens his young years of youth to such pillars of the church as Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom. The beginning of his high spiritual labors was duly noted by Metropolitan Joseph of Kiev, and soon the young monk became a hierodeacon, and after six years he was ordained a hieromonk.

The struggle against the Latin heresy

Since that time, the future prelate Demetrius of Rostov begins his preaching work in the diocese, where he was sent by Archbishop Lazar of Chernihiv (Baranovichi). This was a very important and responsible obedience, as in those years the influence of the Latin preachers, who tried to turn the population away from true Orthodoxy, became much more active. To conduct controversial discussions with them, an energetic and comprehensively educated priest was needed. It was this candidacy that the archbishop in the person of the young hieromonk found.

In this field, Demetrius of Rostov worked with many outstanding theologians of the time, filling out the lack of his knowledge from the information he had learned, since circumstances prevented him from graduating from the Fraternal College. For two years he has been a preacher at the Chernigov Department, and all this time he serves Orthodoxy not only with wise words addressed to the flock, but also with a personal example of a pious life.

St Demetrius of Rostov - an outstanding preacher

The good glory of an outstanding preacher flew all over Little Russia and Lithuania. Many monasteries invited him to visit them and speak before the brethren and, most importantly, before the crowds of pilgrims, the words of the Divine Teaching that are so necessary to all, turning the wavering hearts to true faith. As evidenced by the Life of Dimitry of Rostov, during this period he makes many trips, visiting various monasteries.

By this time his fame as a preacher reached such proportions that the famous hero was insistently demanded not only by the priors of Kiev and Chernigov monasteries, but personally by the hetman of Malorossia Samoilovich who offered him a regular place of preacher in his residence in Baturyn, which promised considerable material benefits.

Serving period in the monasteries of Slutsk and Baturina

For a whole year the place of his stay is the Preobrazhensky Monastery of Slutsk, where the famous preacher is invited by Bishop Theodosius. Here, preaching the Word of God and wandering around the neighborhood, St. Demetrius of Rostov begins to try his hand at a new arena for him - literary. The monument of those times was the fruit of his work - a description of the miracles of the Ilyinsky icon "Runo Irrigated".

However, the monastic duty of obedience required him to return to his hegumen in the Cyril Monastery, but something else happened. By the time he was ready to leave the hospitable shelter of the Slutsk monastery, Kiev and the whole of Zadneprovska Ukraine were threatened by the Turkish invasion, and the only relatively safe place remained Baturin, where he had to go to Dimitry Rostovsky.

The general recognition and suggestions of the Father Superior

Hetman Samoilovich himself came from a spiritual rank, and therefore he treated his guest with special warmth and sympathy. He suggested that Hieromonk Dimitry settle near Baturin in the Nikolayev Monastery, which at that time was led by the well-known theological scholar Theodosius Gurevich. Dialogue with this man enriched Demetrius of Rostov with new knowledge, so necessary to him in the struggle against the Latin heresy.

Over time, when the military danger was over, the future prelate again began receiving messages from various monasteries, but now these were the suggestions of the hegumen, that is, the leadership of the holy monasteries. Such honor testified to his supreme authority among the clergy. After some hesitation the future metropolitan Dimitry of Rostov agreed to head the Maksakovsku monastery, which was not far from the city of Borzny.

The scientific work of the future saint

But he did not have to abbain there for a long time. The next year, Hetman Samoilovich, not wanting to part with his beloved preacher for long, came to his office in the Baturin Monastery, where the abbot's place was vacated. Arriving at the monastery intended for him, Demetrius nevertheless refused the post offered to him by the hegumen and devoted himself to scientific work.

During this period, the most important event in his life occurred. The newly appointed rector of the Pechersk Lavra Archimandrite Varlaam invited him to move to him, under the arches of the ancient Kiev monastery, and there to continue the scientific works. Having accepted the offer of the rector, St Demetrius of Rostov began to perform the main task of his life - the compilation of the lives of saints, canonized by the Universal Church. With this work, stretching for two decades, he rendered an invaluable service to Russian Orthodoxy.

Transition to the Moscow Metropolitan

When in 1686 Demetrius was already working on the fourth book of the lives of the saints, a significant event occurred in the life of the Orthodox Church: the Kiev metropolis, previously subordinate to the Patriarch of Constantinople, became subordinate to Moscow. Since that time, the scientific research of St. Demetrius is under the control of the patriarch Adrian. Evaluating the work of the scientist with dignity, he elevates him to the rank of archimandrite and appoints Eletsky Uspensky monastery and then Preobrazhensky as rector in Novgorod-Siversky.

In 1700, Tsar Peter I, who abolished the patriarchate after the death of the last primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, appoints Archimandrite Dimitry to the liberated Tobolsk Department by his decree. In this connection, he was elevated to the rank of bishop in the same year. However, health did not allow him to go to the regions with a cold northern climate, and a year later the sovereign appointed him to the Rostov Metropolitanate.

Rostov department and cares about the enlightenment of the people

During the entire period of his stay at this department, Metropolitan Dimitri tirelessly cared for enlightenment of the population, fought against drunkenness, ignorance and dark prejudices. He showed special zeal in eradicating the Old Believers and Latin heresy. Here he founded the Slavic-Greek school, which, along with the usual disciplines for that time, also taught classical languages - Latin and Greek.

Departure from earthly life and canonization

The blessed death of the saint came on October 28, 1709. According to his last will, he was buried in the Trinity Cathedral of the Yakovlevsky Monastery. However, contrary to the order of the Monastic order, a wooden frame was installed instead of a stone crypt. This deviation from the prescription had in the future the most unexpected consequences. In 1752, the tombstone was repaired, and the fragile wooden deck was accidentally damaged. When it was opened, they discovered inside the coffin with relics, which remained imperishable during all past years.

This was the reason for the beginning of the process of glorification in the face of the saints Metropolitan Dimitri. The official canonization took place in 1757. The relics of Dimitry of Rostov became the object of worship of a large number of pilgrims who came to Rostov from all over Russia. In the following years, several hundred cases of healing were given, given by prayers at his grave. In accordance with the church tradition, the Akathist Demetrius of Rostov was compiled as the newly glorified saint of God.

Temple of Dimitry of Rostov - a monument to the saint of God

On the day of the relics of the saint, on September 21, and on the day of his blessed death, October 28, his memory is celebrated. At the end of the 18th century, his life was compiled, which became an example of the ministry of the Church for many generations of monks and laymen. Today, one of the monuments to the saint of God, who worked so hard to establish true faith in Russia, is the Temple of Dimitry of Rostov in Ochakovo.