The spiritual movement in Russia under the influence of Elder Paisius can be divided into three main currents: northern, central, and southern. The northern movement had as its main centers the Solovetsky Monastery, Valaam, the Alexander Nevsky Lavra and the Alexander Svirsky Monastery. The central movement was concentrated mainly in Moscow, in the Vladimir province, in the Optina Hermitage of the Kaluga province, in the Bryansk monastery, in the Oryol province, in the Roslavl forests of the Smolensk diocese, in the Beloberezhsky monastery; southern movement in the Ploshchanskaya hermitage of the Oryol bishop, in the Glinsk hermitage of the Kursk bishop. These monasteries should be considered only as the most noticeable or initial points of the Paisius movement, which in fact embraced not a dozen, but, as we shall see, hundreds of Russian monasteries.

In the far north, in the Solovetsky Monastery, the planter of the Paisian legends was Hieroschemamonk Theophanes, whom we have already mentioned earlier. After the death of the Kievan hermit elder Dositheus, Theophanes moved to the Solovetsky monastery, where he transferred the behests of the elder Paisius. In the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, even during the lifetime of Elder Paisius, a circle of his admirers and followers was formed, headed by Metropolitan Gabriel of Novgorod and Ladoga. Metropolitan Gabriel was sent by Elder Paisius a translation from Greek of the book of the Philokalia with a handwritten letter. By order of the metropolitan, this translation was examined by a group of learned teachers of the theological school, and the metropolitan recommended that when checking the translation, they consult with some elders experienced in the spiritual life, saying that although these elders were unfamiliar with the subtleties of the Greek language, they had assimilated the content of the patristic books by the experience of life. And therefore they can give them useful instructions when checking the translation. By order of the metropolitan, the Philokalia was printed in St. Petersburg. Around the metropolitan were grouped: his cell-attendant Theophanes, later abbot of the Novoyezersk monastery, abbot of the Valaam monastery Nazarius, hierodeacon of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra Philaret, later an elder of the Novo-Spassky Moscow monastery, a disciple of Elder Paisius Athanasius, who brought the Philokalia to the metropolitan, and other persons.

On Valaam and in the Alexander Svirsky Monastery worked the disciples of Elder Paisius, Schema-monk Theodore and Hieroschemamonk Cleopas. They left Moldavia for Russia in 1801 and were: Cleopas was a Little Russian, and Theodore was a citizen of the city of Karachev, Oryol Province. (Elder Theodore, born in 1756, left the monastery of Elder Paisius for some time to the hermits Onuphry and Nicholas, who were silent at the Polyana-Raven stream, five versts from the skete of the same name. and from there to Moldavia, to the elder Paisius, with whose blessing he settled with Nicholas in the wilderness and lived there with him for 25 years. Elder Theodore lived with him for five years, after the death of Onuphry, Theodore and Nicholas returned to Paisius, and after the death of Paisius and Nicholas, Theodore returned to Russia. In the Neamt library there is a handwritten patristic book copied by Nicholas for Onuphry. What an unmercenary Theodore was, it is evident from the incident that he gave the five rubles given to him for the journey by one person to the first poor woman he met - a peasant woman). They lived for many years in the monastery of Elder Paisius, took monastic vows from him and were thoroughly instructed and confirmed in the spiritual life by him. Upon arrival in Russia, they lived first in the Chelny monastery of the Oryol diocese, then in the Beloberezhskaya hermitage of the same diocese, located among the remote and at that time almost impassable Bryansk forests. There they became close to the monk Leonid, who, like Theodore, was from the city of Karachev and came from a merchant rank. In 1811, Leonidas and Cleopas moved to Valaam, where Theodore also arrived with them. They lived on Valaam for 5 years, undergoing mental work under the guidance of Elder Paisius, and because of this they suffered much from the ignorant zealots of external podvig. In 1816, Elder Cleopas died in the Valaam Monastery, and Theodore and Leonid moved to the Alexander Svirsky Monastery, where Emperor Alexander I drew attention to them. Living on Valaam and in the Alexander Svirsky Monastery, the elders had spiritual communion with the Alexander Nevsky Lavra and everywhere had like-minded brethren and disciples. On Valaam, their disciples were: the elder Hegumen Varlaam, who later moved to the Optina Hermitage and died there, and the spiritual father of the Valaam monastery Evfimy. Euthymius, in turn, had as his disciples Damascene, the abbot of Valaam, and Hilarion, who transferred the traditions of the elder Paisius to the Nikolo-Babaevsky monastery of the Kostroma diocese. The famous Valaam abbot Damascene had as his disciples Agafangel, archimandrite of the Alexander Svir monastery, Agapius, schema-monk of the Valaam monastery, a blind elder, and schema-monk John, a silent monk of the Valaam monastery. Agafangel had as his disciple Maurice, the abbot of the Valaam monastery.

In the northern region, another disciple of Elder Paisius, Arsenius, asceticized, who moved from the Bryansk forests to the Pskov Nikandrov Monastery. He had as his disciple Gerasim, a monk of the Solovetsky monastery. In some northern monasteries, the traditions of Elder Paisios were borrowed from the monasteries of the central region, and therefore they will be indicated elsewhere.

Let's move on to the central area. Here, first of all, it is necessary to mention the disciple of the elder Cleopas, not the one mentioned above, but another. This Cleopas lived for a long time with the elder Paisius, first on Mount Athos, then in the Dragomir monastery and, probably, in Sekula, and went to Russia even before 1778, and was the abbot of the Ostrovskaya Vvedenskaya hermitage of the Vladimir diocese. He was a remarkable ascetic, a keeper of mental work. He introduced in the Ostrovskaya hermitage the cenobitic rule of Mount Athos, which was later transferred by his disciples to other monasteries in central and northern Russia. The disciples of Elder Cleopas were: Ignatius, who initially asceticized in the Sanaksar monastery under the guidance of Elder Theodore Ushakov, and then in the Florischev hermitage of the Vladimir diocese. From 1778, after Cleopas, he was the builder of the Ostrovskaya hermitage, and then the Peshnosh monastery of the Moscow diocese. In 1788, he was appointed archimandrite of the Tikhvin Monastery, Novgorod Diocese, and with the blessing of Metropolitan Gabriel introduced a cenobitic rule there. In 1795, he was transferred by the archimandrite to the Moscow Simonov Monastery to establish a dormitory there, and there he died in 1796. It is reported of him that he was everywhere an example of a lofty life, especially of humility and non-acquisitiveness: he was merciful to the poor, compassionate to the unfortunate, full of love for the brethren. Another disciple of Elder Cleopas, Schema-Archimandrite Macarius, who after Ignatius was the abbot of the Peshnosha monastery until his very death in 1811, had a special significance in the history of Russian monasticism and eldership: 24 abbots of monasteries came out of his disciples. He had spiritual communion and correspondence with Elder Paisius and received a staff from him as a gift. He led the Peshnosha monastery into external and internal improvement. Tireless and well-versed in economic labors, he was even more tireless and experienced in the feats of spiritual life. In appearance he seemed strict, but he had a soul full of fatherly love; he had no property, sharing everything with the brethren; he treated everyone affably, and his simplicity of heart, combined with spiritual wisdom, attracted universal affection and respect for him. Metropolitan Platon entrusted him with putting the devastated monasteries in order and held him up as an example to other abbots.

From the Peshnosh monastery, many monasteries borrowed both the cenobitic rule and the monks capable of maintaining communal life. From the disciples of Elder Macarius, we will name: Abraham, later abbot of the Optina Hermitage, Maximus, the builder of the Peshnoshsky Monastery, Ignatius the schema-monk of the Konevsky Monastery, and the builder of the Zadne-Nikiforovsky Monastery, etc hermit, and Anastasia, the founder of the women's community, later the Padansky monastery. A disciple of Elder Cleopas was also the remarkable ascetic Theophanes, abbot of Novoyezersk, whom we have already mentioned as the cell-attendant of Metropolitan Gabriel. He personally came to Peshnosha to Father Macarius, in order to obtain from him a cenobitic rule for his monastery and to beg from him several brethren for the establishment of a communal life. Hegumen Theophan was an elder of the Modena Monastery, the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, the Ustyug and Kirillov Monasteries, and the Philippo-Iranian Hermitage. His spiritual daughter was Maurice, abbess of the Gorki Convent. Theophanes' successor at the Novozero monastery was his disciple Arkady. From the disciples of the elders Cleopas, Ignatius and Macarius, the legends of Paisius passed to the Kolomna Golutvin monastery, where the abbot was the disciple of Macarius and Ignatius, Samuel; Samuel's disciple was Nazarius, and his disciples were the schema-monk Ioannicius and the hermit Macarius, who followed the same path of inner spiritual achievement.

The next place from which the Paisius movement developed in central Russia was Moscow. There were mainly two centers of this movement: the Simonov Monastery and the Novospassky Monastery. In the Simonov Monastery asceticized a disciple of Elder Paisius, monk Paul. In 1812 he suffered greatly from the French, who beat him to such an extent that he spent the rest of his life in a sickly state. There, in the Simonov Monastery, lived another disciple of Elder Paisius, Arsenius. Paul's disciple was Hieromonk Joseph, abbot of the Simonov Monastery. Here, in the Simonov Monastery, as we have already mentioned, was the abbot of Archimandrite Ignatius, a disciple of Cleopas Ostrovsky, who was appointed here to establish a dormitory. In the Novospassky Monastery, remarkable elders were Hieromonks Philaret and Alexander, disciples of Paisius, a disciple of Athanasius, who at one time lived in the Florischev Hermitage of the Vladimir Diocese. Schema-monk Athanasius (he must be distinguished from Athanasius, who brought the Philokalia to Metropolitan Gabriel), a former captain of the hussar regiment, by the name of Zakharov, lived with Elder Paisius for more than seven years and took monastic vows from him. With the blessing of the elder, he spent much time extracting instructions from the books of the fathers about prayer, humility, patience, obedience, love and other virtues. Under necessary circumstances, he was released to Russia with the monks Ambrose and Theophan in 1777. Here, having endured many troubles, he lived in the Gorokhovsky monastery, in the Florischev hermitage, and then in the Beloberezhskaya hermitage and in the Ploshchanskaya Bogoroditskaya hermitage of the Oryol diocese, where he benefited many with his life and teaching. In the Ploshchansk hermitage, he died in 1825. Coming from the Florischev Hermitage to Moscow, Elder Athanasius visited the hieromonks of the Novospassky Monastery, Alexander and Philaret, and conducted spiritual conversations with them about mental work according to the teachings of Elder Paisius. Both of these hieromonks knew Elder Paisius in absentia, loved and revered him and used the books of the fathers translated by him, and Father Alexander even corresponded with him. Thus, both of these Novospassky monks stood very close to Elder Paisius and abundantly enjoyed his spiritual wealth. It is possible that, while they were acquainted with Athanasius, they also had an acquaintance with another disciple of Elder Paisius, Ambrose, who lived in the Gorokhov monastery and was distinguished by a special gift of prayer.

Hieromonk Philaret was a native of the city of Vyazma, from a prosperous merchant family of the Pulyashkins. Early feeling disgusted with secular life, he entered a monastery at the age of 13 and from childhood immersed himself in reading spiritual books, of which there were many in his father's house. Subsequently, he spent several years in the Sarov hermitage, and then in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra under Metropolitan Gabriel as a hierodeacon. From St. Petersburg, Philaret moved to Moscow, spent some time in the Simonov Monastery, and then in the Novospassky Monastery, where he lived in one cell for more than 40 years, rarely leaving the gates of the monastery fence. Only on quiet summer evenings, when the movement of people stopped, did he go out with his friend Alexander and with another elder Michael, who adhered to the same teaching, for a solitary walk around the monastery walls. Having spent many years in the ascetic labors of monastic silence, Elder Philaret devoted the rest of his life to active service to people, giving advice and consolation to all those who needed it without distinction of persons and conditions. His cell was daily filled with a multitude of people of all ranks. Depressed with grief, oppressed by life, agitated by doubts, overwhelmed by passion, beset by misfortune from all sides, they came to him in order to pour out their sorrows before him and to receive from him consolation and instruction. In his conversations, his amazing meekness, extreme humility, ardent love for his neighbor, the beauty and power of his deep spiritual mind were especially clearly expressed. It often happened that from the multitude of visitors he had no time either to dine or to rest, in spite of the painful illness from which he had suffered all his life. And, in spite of this, he still found time for reading and copying the books of the fathers. Only shortly before his death (he died in 1842 at the age of 84) could he no longer serve the needy with his advice, because from the blow that befell him, his tongue could hardly pronounce anything other than his usual invocation of the name of the Savior and the Mother of God. Elder Philaret was the spiritual father of Natalia Petrovna Kireevskaya, the wife of the famous Russian philosopher and writer Ivan Vasilyevich, and through her he influenced the latter, interested him in the spiritual life of Russian monasticism, disposed him to a deeper study of Orthodoxy, and promoted his spiritual rapprochement with the elders of the Optina Hermitage. In addition to Kireevskaya, Father Philaret was the spiritual leader of the nun of the Moscow Ivanovo Convent Dosithea, who was distinguished by her high spiritual life. The fate of this nun is quite mysterious and many believed and consider her to be the daughter of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. Nun Dosithea, in turn, had a great spiritual influence on the famous ascetics of the Putilov brothers, in monasticism Moses of Optina, Isaiah of Sarov and Anthony of Maloyaroslavetsky.

As for Philaret's friend, Hieromonk Alexander, later Archimandrite of the Arzamas Monastery, it is known that he was born in the same year as Philaret, i.e. 1758, and came from an Orthodox family of Polish nobles. He knew Polish well. Devoted to the Orthodox Church, he especially loved the book of Metropolitan Stephen Yavorsky "The Stone of Faith" and the works of St. Demetrius of Rostov, whom he advised all those entering the monastery to have the book "The Spiritual Alphabet" and to study in it all their lives. He studied at the Kiev Academy. Then he entered the service of the Chamber Collegium. How long he stayed there is unknown, but only later did he himself say that at a young age he began a monastic life in the Moscow Novo-Spassky Monastery. While in St. Petersburg with the abbot of the monastery, he was tonsured into monasticism by Metropolitan Gabriel and ordained by him in 1793 to the rank of hierodeacon, and a month later to the rank of hieromonk, and always enjoyed his favor and was in constant correspondence with him. In the same year, 1793, he was appointed abbot and treasurer of the Novo-Spassky Monastery, but after 4 years he refused both positions and lived in the same monastery, spending time in prayer and in the study of the Holy Fathers, who were doing the Jesus Prayer mentally, and took on the great icon of the schema in his cell.

Bishop Gabriel, being in Moscow for the coronation of Emperor Paul, often talked with Father Alexander and invited him to his Novgorod diocese, but he refused, not wanting to leave his solitude and his friend, who was striving for the same goal with him. Living in this way in the Novospassky monastery, he had contact with the Moldavian and Athonite elders, took advantage of their advice, and when they were in Moscow on various business, he received them and helped them a lot through his devoted Moscow acquaintances. He was also very willing to help those who aspired to the monastic life. Under his guidance, many led an attentive monastic life. Some of his disciples were abbots of monasteries. In 1810, Father Alexander was ordained archimandrite of the Arzamas Spassky Monastery, from where he conducted an extensive correspondence with his Moscow spiritual children and admirers. Living very modestly, but receiving considerable money from his posts, he distributed everything to the brethren, to monastic servants, to poor students of theological schools and to all those in need. After his death, only 40 kopecks in money and no clothes remained. Before his death, for 18 days he did not take food at all, except for a few drops of water, eating only the bread of life, the Body and Blood of the Lord. He died on April 29, 1845, having served as a priest for 52 years.

To characterize the elder, we will cite several excerpts from his letters. When the young ascetics Timothy and Jonah Putilov, spiritually guided by Father Alexander, went to live in Sarov, Elder Alexander gave them the following instruction:

"To my brethren in Christ Jesus, Timothy and Jonah, upon arrival at the Sarov hermitage, I advise: 1) While living there, go to the brethren and deal only with those with whom the abbot and spiritual father order. 2) To pass obedience without murmuring, and if you are burdened with anything, ask with humility to be transferred to another, if they do not transfer, submit. 3) Remember and live there without going anywhere, because even if you see any seeming inconveniences or temptations there, you will not eradicate them from yourself and will go over with them, then you will find ten times more in another place, and they will multiply with your vagrancy until you are completely returned to the world. And if you begin to obey your superiors and blame yourself, and recognize the temptations regarding the brethren for your own illness and infirmities, then you will always and in everything remain peaceful. 4) If obedience is difficult, then it seems difficult only because of disobedience and stubbornness; for you will see the same obedience of others who pass by in peace, who are also weaker than you. However, if they leave you, according to your desire, without obedience, then you will be so overcome by thoughts that you will not get along with them. Therefore, do not refuse obedience, but seek. 5) For your eternal spiritual benefit, always remember that in the face of any temptation there is victory through humility, self-reproach and patience. May the Most Merciful Lord enlighten you and make you wise, may He help you and preserve you; and may He protect you from all the snares of the enemy on the left and the right. 6) As you go through obedience, protect yourself from heavy ascents and preserve your health, for you will give an answer to God if, through insane zeal, you somehow harm yourself and burden your neighbors; for when you become crippled, then it is no longer you who will serve the brethren, but the brethren will be forced to serve you, and in this case you will have a bitter life, from which may the Lord have mercy on you."

In the same year, Elder Alexander wrote to Timothy Putilov: "I heartily rejoice that the merciful Lord did not allow you and Jonah to wander in the world any longer and defile your souls with delusion. Be patient for God's sake, and do not forget that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, etc. For it is better for us to fight with thoughts according to the Holy Ladder than with self-conceit. And it is not good for us to be passionless; for the demons for the most part then depart for the sake of our self-conceit, knowing that even without their deceit we can perish from our own pride and remain without repentance. You write that your thoughts hinder you; If you can hold back the wind, then restrain your thoughts. And the Holy Fathers say that it is possible for a monk to be passionate, but not to fulfill his passions. Consequently, we will be condemned for the fulfillment of the passions, and not only because we have them in us and are overcome by thoughts. And the first Adam, by his discerning sense, understood that the apple was good for food, but not for this knowledge, but for eating the apple, he was condemned. And God commanded him not not to be aware of the goodness of the fruit, but not to eat it. Therefore, do not trouble your soul with any thoughts, since you do not love them and do not delight in them. If you have a spiritual father and trust him, then reveal to him all your thoughts and struggles; and do not accept your own mind, as damaged and defiled by sins, and do not believe in anything until your death. Most of all, I beseech you, be obedient without reasoning, and humble yourselves before all; According to the teaching of the Holy Fathers, humility alone can be saved, and without it and with all virtues we cannot escape eternal condemnation. As for visual life, if only God would preserve us from active sins, God will give you reason, only for God's sake endure."

Father Alexander wrote to a certain Andrei Stepanovich that Christ should be sought not outside oneself, but within oneself: "As for your intention and desire to go to Jerusalem and Mount Athos, I cannot give you a decisive answer. My advice to you is this: choose a poor monastery somewhere in your homeland, closed from the world, and in it try to find Jesus Christ not in Mount Athos, but in your heart. For it is impossible to find Him anywhere else except in our heart. And when the Lord vouchsafes you to find Him in your heart, then the most crowded square for you will be Jerusalem and Athos. One of the saints said, if a treasure is buried in your house, and you do not know about it, then in this case it happens to you as if this treasure did not exist. In the same way, we all seek Jesus Christ in different places, not knowing that He is always within us. May Almighty God illuminate your heart and show you the place where Jesus Christ dwells."