Первое время она жила у моей двоюродной сестры, на третий день поехали к о. Арсению, говорил он с ней долго, а через пять дней крестились Люба и Нина у о. Сергия в церкви Покрова Пресвятой Богородицы в деревне Акулово под Москвой [2], он нас и повенчал. Вот и все. Несколько резкая, не всегда тактичная, но очень добрая и хорошая Анна Федоровна сказала: Смело в Москву приехала к одинокому мужчине, в столицу легко перебралась, посмотреть бы на нее. Александр Сергеевич покраснел, не нашелся, что ответить, но, видимо, обиделся.

Отец Арсений улыбнулся и, обратившись к Анне Федоровне, сказал: Обернитесь, Любовь Андреевна рядом с Вами. Мы обернулись и увидели; мы, конечно, видели эту женщину все время, но никто не думал, что она жена Александра Сергеевича. Анна Федоровна растерялась и, чтобы исправить неловкость сказанного, стала извиняться. Действительно, Люба была до удивления красива, доброжелательна и приятна всей своей внешностью и обхождением. Улыбаясь, сказала: Анна Федоровна, Вы правы: легко, неожиданно оказалась в Москве, но есть одна извинительная причина Саша и я полюбили друг друга, и сейчас так же любим, в этом заключается все.

Обрывая все разговоры, о. Арсений встал и произнес: Помолимся о упокоении иерея Илариона и возблагодарим Господа, что милостью Своей соединил Александра и Любовь. Мы вошли в комнату о. Арсения; горели три лампады, освещая лики икон, на столе лежал напрестольный крест, и чувство тишины и молитвы охватило душу.

В 1972 г., просматривая записи, связанные с о. Арсением, решила немного дописать. С Любой подружилась давно, удивительный она человек, полный доброты, такта, всепрощения! Семья получилась на удивление сплоченная, они часто приезжают к о. Арсению, и я заметила, что он особенно внимательно относится к Любе.

Неисповедимы пути Твои, Господи!

ПСИХИАТР

В 1964 г. известный психиатр, профессор, доктор медицины Дмитрий Евгеньевич Мелихов (ученик Ганушкина), с которым я дружил долгие годы, в прошлом духовный сын о. Алексея Мечева, впоследствии его сына о. Сергия Мечева, обратился ко мне с просьбой отвезти его в Ростов к о. Арсению, с которым он встречался в тридцатые годы. У Мити в это время произошли большие осложнения в личной жизни и на работе. Кроме того, в 1956 или 1957 г. он перенес тяжелую операцию по удалению желудка и имел ряд сопутствующих заболеваний, отчего питание стало для него чрезвычайно сложной проблемой.

He was tall, handsome and strong, a kind-hearted man, overloaded with his work, but constantly providing his friends, acquaintances and those who asked him, medical care, and where he considered it necessary, material care. His personal life was always full of various complications, and then he withdrew into himself. In his youth, in 19241930, he was one of the participants and organizers of a Christian student circle; he was arrested, he was in prison, later he was repeatedly summoned to the Lubyanka and all his life he was under the secret supervision of the authorities.

I don't know what depressed Dmitry. But he needed an urgent meeting with a good priest, and he knew that I was systematically going to see Fr. Arseny, who was released from the camp in 1958. On one of my trips, I asked permission to come with Dmitry to Fr. Arseny.

I don't know what they were talking about, but Mitya and I could not leave on the same day, the train was only at 2 p.m. the next day, so we had to stay. Given the complexity of Mitya's diet, Nadezhda Petrovna prepared something pureed for him. In the evening, Fr. Arseny talked with Dmitry for more than three hours, and in the morning all those who came confessed and took communion. At 2 p.m. we left for Moscow, there were few people in the car, only Mitya and I were traveling in a four-berth compartment.

When we drove to Fr. Arseny, Mitya was in a depressed state, but he returned different, enlightened, joyful, full of energy. Almost all the way we talked, mostly him. I knew Mitya, I knew his last wife, I knew him all his life, but when we were driving, he seemed to be trying to expose himself to me, to show the negativity of his actions, to say that he had been married more than once; and he told it not to me, but to himself, as if conducting a psychoanalysis, and I was a silent listener; Perhaps he simply forgot about my presence.

I am infinitely glad, said Dmitry, that I have seen Fr. Arseny again; In my life I met with many priests, revered them, tried to follow their advice and instructions, but yesterday and today I received more than I received then. I began to tell Fr. Arseny about my domestic difficulties, about the current situation at work, mentioned several names of people who did not understand me; Fr. Arseny crossed himself, stopped and began to speak quietly. He entered my inner self, my spiritual world, and read the layers that had accumulated in me over the years. I listened and saw myself, saw the abyss of mistakes made, uncorrected and permeated my whole being. He spoke about people with whom he did not get along, called their names, showed their view of the situation, spoke on behalf of these people, as if he knew them.

Why is it difficult for all of you? Each sees only himself and does not want to take the position of the other for a single moment. He was right about everything; After a long cleansing conversation and confession, the heaviest burden of my worries was lifted, I understood what I had to do, and I returned home a different person.

You must understand, Mitya said, one might have thought that his conversation with me was the conversation of an experienced psychologist-analyst, perhaps a psychiatrist with vast experience. He did not ask me a single leading question; occasionally making the sign of the cross on himself, he revealed my entire inner world, and not only mine, but also those people with whom I had difficulties; And at the same time, it was amazing that he understood these people and knew them without ever seeing or hearing about them.