The work of the third Optina elder, Hieroschemamonk Ambrose, is the most glorious and radiant time of the Russian eldership. The work of the elders has traveled almost forty years since Hieroschemamonk Lev arrived with his disciples in Optina from the Alexander Svirsky Monastery. The powerful spirit of Elder Leo withstood the great and prolonged temptations that were brought to him by the official church leadership. He also laid the foundations of the work of the elders, the great work of Christ's love, which, in addition to enlivening the monastic life, filling it with the true commandments of Christ, also became a work of the people, raising the spirit of those who came to the elder to the true height of Christ's commandments. Just as true, sincere and self-sacrificing was the activity of the elder Hieroschemamonk Macarius, who took upon himself the work of publishing spiritual and ascetic literature.

Father Ambrose, a disciple and cell-attendant of Elder Macarius, entered into the work of his spiritual father during his lifetime; everything happened here naturally, as if by itself. However, the path of Elder Ambrose's work, as if equalized, smoothed out by the work of his great predecessors, the path, freed from sorrowful external circumstances, was burdened with his grave and almost continuous illnesses and bodily sufferings. Elder Ambrose, having served as a hieromonk for less than one year, had to retire, remain dependent on the monastery, and become, from an external point of view, a kind of scum for it.98 And it was this sickly elder who was destined by the Lord Providence to become a luminous lamp, a tireless worker, a preacher and an apostle of the work of the elders. The name of the elder Hieroschemamonk Ambrose, among others, brought world fame and glory to the Optina Hermitage, where he asceticized in the elderly work for more than thirty years. Now canonized as a Russian saint, he stands before the throne of God with the same warmth as during his lifetime, praying for the Russian land, for its people, who are just as grieving as they were during his lifetime, just as demanding his support and intercession.

What made the name of Elder Ambrose seem to be a household name, as if the only one of its kind, vividly depicting, depicting the work of Christ on earth? True death with Christ, strengthened by the daily cross of illnesses, and here is the true resurrection in Christ and with Christ in the matter of living and active love for one's neighbor – love that became the testament of the elder's entire life.

Thus, on the one hand, it was like the rabble of the world (of which the Apostle speaks), the rabble of the monastery, which the elder could not serve, and on the other hand, the radiant, invincible, almost incomprehensible Love of Christ, which triumphed and conquered in the elder all his external sufferings. One has only to read the endless testimonies of the elder's spiritual children and his eyewitnesses in order to understand how great, all-embracing, and indisputable was his love, which was expressed in his restoration of the image of God in those who came to him. How unexpectedly their life was rebuilt, took on a new direction and content, and only in this new content did they find themselves, found genuine unspiritual joy, found themselves. These stories are always read with unflagging interest, in them there is the striking and conquering truth of the resurrection of souls in Christ. All this new, restored New Testament army poured into the old, decrepit world and imperceptibly but steadily transformed it, saved it, and inspired it to live love and life in God.

Such was the great significance of the elder's work, which poured out from the bed of the sick elder, who, however, was at the same time "merry," in the words of his cell-attendants. It was the elder Hieroschemamonk Ambrose who was given the opportunity to attract the attention of the great Russian writers to his work: Gogol, Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy. In our days, when commemorating the Optina Hermitage, the public word speaks more about them than about Elder Ambrose himself. It was the impression of meeting him that formed the basis of the image of the elder Zosima, created by Dostoevsky. Through these lines in The Brothers Karamazov, the world learned about the existence of eldership; he also learned Dostoevsky's prophecy that in the last days those who believe in Christ will remain in the world as monks, not understood by him, ridiculed and expelled.

In the last decade of the last century, the service of Elder Ambrose ended. He was replaced by worthy men, imbued with the order of the elderly, but here the days of the new century were already approaching, when the monastery was closed and devastated, and the last laborers of the elderly work, such as Father Nikon99 and others, died in exile and camps.

However, the work of the elders did not perish, it did not die, it could not die, and in our days the names of our elders must shine forth and be glorified among the saints, which happened by the will of God and the sufferings of the Russian Church in relation to our venerable fathers Paisius Velichkovsky, Ambrose of Optina and all the elders of Optina, as well as their disciple, St. Ignatius Brianchaninov.

Зосимова пустынь и старчество

Старчество есть основание для доброго монастырского устроения. Пока не насадится оно, русские обители не поднимутся в нравственном отношении Если бы знали они [иноки], сколько неоцененного добра заключает в себе старческое «окормление» как облегчает оно борьбу со врагом, как подкрепляет в минуты уныния, малодушия каким верным покровом от вражеских бурь служит оно. (Схиигумен Герман, строитель Зосимовой пустыни100)

Одним из оазисов старческого делания в ту пору, когда великие старцы Оптиной отходят к Богу, становится Зосимова пустынь под Москвой, расположенная в лесах Александровского уезда Владимирской области, неподалеку от Троице-Сергиевой Лавры. Строителем этой пустыни в самом конце XIX века становится духовник Гефсиманского скита иеромонах Герман101, который, кроме забот о достраивающейся возобновляемой пустыни, берет на себя великий труд по насаждению в обители уставного богослужения и введению старческого окормления. Монашествующие здесь составляют отныне единую семью, идущую к Богу под руководством своих старцев, при ежедневном откровении помыслов и согрешений своему духовному отцу.

Схиигумен Герман, будучи духовным сыном старца иеросхимонаха Александра102, по свидетельству одного из своих жизнеописателей, был давно известен «многим истинно духовным инокам, и даже иерархам103, и любим народом». Будучи в свое время келейником отца Александра, отец Герман усвоил основное учение своего старца – «познать самого себя». Отец Герман, игумен вновь собранного братства, был фигурой знаменательной, своеобразной и сильной. Многие иерархи были его духовными сыновьями, один из них составил его жизнеописание104. Человек внутреннего подвига, делатель молитвы Иисусовой105, окормитель и старец душ, взыскующих Бога в монашеском чине, он был, по свидетельству своих жизнеописателей, натурой прямой, цельной и одновременно любящим духовным отцом. «Утаенны были добродетели отца игумена в игуменском служении работал он Господу нелицемерно – ни братии, ни начальству не искал угодить. За то терпел, но дано ему было безгрешное веселие»106.

Вновь устрояемая обитель с любовью и мудростию созидалась игуменом Германом; основным в обители было уставное богослужение с истовым монашеским пением и составление всего благочиния служб: в облачении священнослужащих, в убранстве храма и икон. Очевидцы пишут о Зосимовой пустыни: «Не внешним убранством зданий и материальным достатком славится Зосимова пустынь Тиха и проста по виду благословенная обитель. Дух этой великой простоты особенно запечатлен в богослужении, составляющем средоточие Зосимовской жизни. Тихо и мирно идет церковная служба. Медленно и плавно чтение и пение. Все проникнуто духом глубокого смирения и покаянного умиления. Все так благочинно, уставно и вместе так просто»107. Монашествующие пустыни тихи и приветливы: «Не разговорчив, не многоречив пустынный инок, – пишет паломник, – не услышишь ты от него длинных, пустых и праздных речей, но он уже одним видом своим много скажет тебе без слов».