Вестник Екатеринбургской духовной семинарии (Feb 2022)
«Judged by the pastoral conscience». Diary of Vasily Sokolov «Borovetsky»
Abstract
The article is devoted to establishing the authorship of the diary written by some priest of the Vologda diocese and fragmentarily published in the Vologda Diocesan Gazette in 1908–1916 under the title «Judged by the pastoral conscience», with no author’s indication. Using archival data and publications in the church periodicals of that time, the researcher has discovered that the diary belongs to the famous ascetic of the Vologda region priest Vasily Nikolaevich Sokolov (1865–1909), also called by his contemporaries «Borovetsky», which is derived from the place of priest’s service: sett. Borok of the Vologda district. As a priest, Father Vasily enjoyed great prestige among the inhabitants of the surrounding villages and the Vologda province in general; at the end of his life Fr. Vasily for several years held the position of spiritual mentor in the Vologda Theological Seminary. Priest Vasily Sokolov’s circle of spiritual fellowship included: priest Alexander Badanin (now —locally venerated saint of the Vologda diocese), priest Nikolai Karaulov (Holy Martyr Nikolai, canonized with the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia), and also hieromonk Theophanes (Kharitonov, later — famous elder of Athos), as well as Bishop Neophyte (Slednikov, died in 1918 as Bishop of Starobelsk and Vicar of the Kharkov diocese), and hieromonk of the Vologda Cross Church Simeon (Stefanov, 1867–1903; devotee of piety), and Nikita (Gromov, 1865–1935; inhabitant of the Dionisievo-Glushitsky Monastery). As shown in the article, it is Bishop Neophyte (Slednikov) who should be considered the publisher and editor of the diary. Since priest Vasily Sokolov was extremely attentive and demanding about his inner world, his diary entries are replete with indications of his unworthiness and imperfections. Being unfamiliar with the life of this ascetic priest, a reader may get the impression that the diary’s author really lives a relaxed life and is far from spiritual success. Establishing the authorship of the diary and the biography of priest Vasily allows to correctly assess its content and opens the diary as a witness of the life of the ascetic pastor for a wide range of readers. As an illustration, some fragments of the diary are published in the appendix.
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